Sound Start Foundation A NJ Nonprofit Corporation
A Sound Start for All Children
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Sound Start is an initiative that specifically addresses the need for supporting families in New Jersey with deaf and hearing-impaired children ages birth to three years old, as there are limited resources presently available. The New Jersey Department of Health estimates that approximately 3.4 per 1000 live births in New Jersey have hearing loss, although we suspect the numbers to be closer to 5 per 1000 live births. This significant gap in access to essential services heightens the demand for specialized care programs like Sound Start.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Sound Start Babies Program
Sound Start Foundation supports the Sound Start Babies Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, which provides life-changing early intervention, family-support and nursery programs to children with hearing loss throughout New Jersey. The Sound Start Babies Program has helped thousands of babies with hearing loss learn to listen, speak, communicate and achieve their full potential.
The mission of Sound Start Babies Program is to ensure that infants and toddlers identified with hearing loss and their families receive the highest quality, research validated educational services provided by individuals who are selected for their knowledge and sensitivity to meeting the varied needs of the children and families they serve. The program offers a range of services and communication options respecting family choice and unique child characteristics. The goal of the program is for the child with hearing loss to develop language, speech, and communication skills commensurate with those o
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of teachers involved in school-wide decisions about student learning
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Sound Start Babies Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of children able to exercise appropriate control in independent and group activities
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Sound Start Babies Program
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
cognitive learning and ability to understand
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our Sound Start programs offer comprehensive care and support to children aged birth to three years who experience hearing loss or deafness, with a crucial focus on early intervention and individualized care plans. Our team consists of licensed speech therapists, teachers of the deaf, and early childhood education experts who work closely with families and their children to ensure they receive the necessary support and care. Services such as audiological monitoring, hearing aid maintenance, and speech therapy are also provided.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. Increased access to auditory information—We work to maximize children's access to auditory information, which is crucial for their overall development. Through our program, we provide the necessary resources and support to enhance children's listening skills and language acquisition.
2. Improved development and progress—We anticipate that children in our program will show significant progress in their overall development, including language skills, social interactions, and academic readiness. Our comprehensive approach and individualized care plans were designed to meet each child's unique needs and goals, ensuring their growth and learning.
3. Enhanced family resources and support—Our program strives to equip families with a comprehensive toolbox of resources, including connections to suitable providers and financial assistance options. The challenges families face in finding appropriate services, especially working with young children are significant and create barriers to equal access. We alleviate these limitations by providing support and guidance to all families who needed such support.
4. Seamless transition for aging-out families—Seventy-four families aged out of our program, and we continued to serve as a resource system. Our rate of matriculation into general education programs rose to 87%.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
For 27 years, the Sound Start Babies Program has stood our as a unique and innovative program that offers comprehensive care and an inclusive environment for children aged birth to three years old, including those who are deaf, hearing-impaired, and hearing. In Fiscal Year 2022/23, our program rebounded from attenuated enrollment during COVID. Over the past 12 months, we have refocused our efforts and strengthened essential features that make our program unique compared to others.
1. Regain our Comprehensive Care: Our program offered audiological monitoring, hearing aid maintenance, and speech therapy services as needed, in addition to a curriculum that promoted early learning. This approach helped children with hearing loss and other unique needs receive the necessary support and care to thrive.
2. Continue our Inclusive Environment: We redoubled our efforts to foster an inclusive and nurturing environment that supports all children's growth and development, regardless of their hearing statuses. Our program welcomed children of all abilities and backgrounds and financial resources to provide individualized care plans that met their specific needs and goals.
3. Increased our Experienced Team: Our team grew by two highly trained professionals: a licensed speech therapists and a teachers of the deaf. They worked closely with families to provide personalized care and support.
4. Reinforced our Early Intervention Philosophy: We believe in the power of early intervention and have strengthened our program to emphasize early language acquisition, social skills development, academic readiness and parental involvement. Our focus on early intervention aims to give children a strong foundation for their lifelong learning journeys.
The Sound Start Nursery Program is a comprehensive and innovative initiative that promotes inclusive learning and early intervention for children with different hearing needs, aimed at empowering them to reach their full potential and prepare for academic success in the future.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Sound Start Foundation A NJ Nonprofit Corporation
Board of directorsas of 11/05/2023
Alex Mitchell
Rick Kalfayan
Stephanie Deyo
Jack Gentul
Dan Borgo
Jonathan Weizman
Jessica Griffin
Yana Garger
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data