ICRF responds to the needs of families raising children with cerebral palsy

Impact Care Rehab Foundation (ICRF), an organization that provides a home for children with cerebral palsy at no cost has been opened at Kanda, a suburb of Accra.

Mrs Mildred Osei Asiamah, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation said she was touched by the plight parents of children with cerebral palsy go through in trying to find a school for their children.

“I noticed that most crèches or day care centres do not accept children with cerebral palsy, I decided to start a foundation to help parents in this direction,” she said.

Mrs Osei-Asiamah said she got close to a child with cerebral palsy when her mother was sick and admitted at Korle Bu Teaching hospital.

“I love children so I decided to research more about cerebral palsy and see how I can support the child, in my research I realized that getting children with cerebral palsy into schools was a challenge for many parents so I decided to offer help in that direction.”

 ICRF operates a free day care centre which allows parents to bring their children with cerebral palsy in the morning and pick them up in the evening.

The Centre has a retired nurse and a physiotherapist that attends to the children as well as a professional team that cares for children between the ages of 1 and 5 years.

Mrs Osei-Asiamah said: “We want to afford the career parent the opportunity to work, school and follow their dreams without stress.”

The Foundation is also partnering the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy to ensure that they are providing the right services.

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Special Mothers Project, who expressed excitement at the services the centre is providing advised Mrs Osei-Asiamah to make the centre inclusive.

Mrs Awadzi said children learn a lot by imitating their peers, she therefore  urged the centre to also accept children who did not have special needs to help those with cerebral palsy model right behaviors.