Easter Seals New York's Hudson Valley Programs and Schools Continue to Grow and Flourish

HUDSON VALLEY, N.Y., Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Easter Seals New York celebrates another successful year of program growth in the Hudson Valley region. With five schools offering programs such as preschool, Universal Prekindergarten, after school, special education, and therapy services Easter Seals New York meets the needs of local individuals with disabilities or special needs. The organization will host its Hudson Valley Annual Meeting on November 10th, gathering its supporters and leaders including local politician, Westchester County Executive, Rob Astorino.

"Our programs and services in the Hudson Valley region are expanding quickly because of the local need and the outstanding quality of care that we provide," says John W. McGrath, Senior Vice President of Organizational Development for Easter Seals New York. "We are very enthusiastic about our organization's role as one of the fastest growing providers of special education in the region."

Easter Seals New York's Project Explore in Valhalla has added three new full day classes and one half day class allowing Easter Seals New York to provide a preschool program to more than 120 students, 50% of whom receive special education. Project Imagine in Irvington opened a second classroom which serves as therapy/gross motor space and provides the opportunity for therapists to work in a setting separated from the regular class, enhancing the quality of their therapies. Project Inspire was awarded a contract to be the exclusive provider of after school services for the Mount Pleasant central school district; to date we have 105 students enrolled. Easter Seals New York is also slated to open a school in Yonkers, bringing needed programs and services to that community.

"I am proud of our programs in the Hudson Valley region. They offer truly exceptional opportunities and services for children with disabilities or special needs, and it is exciting to see how we grow each year," says Joseph A. DiChiara, of Entergy and Incoming State Chairman of the Board.

The Annual Meeting serves as an event and awards ceremony for supporters and leaders of the organization; as well as an introduction of this year's program Ambassadors, the faces of the organization. This year's event will be held at Tappan Hill Mansion, will include a reception and a program featuring an address by Westchester County Executive, Rob Astorino.

For almost 90 years, Easter Seals New York has been at the forefront of providing exceptional services throughout the state to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities. Last year, Easter Seals New York directly touched the lives of more than 10,000 individuals and their families. In Hudson Valley, Easter Seals New York served more than 5,000 people through educational and community outreach programs in 2010. These programs include a variety of preschool special education and Universal Prekindergarten to children with disabilities and their typically developing peers including afterschool care, speech, occupational, and physical therapies, as well as a monthly community outreach program in Port Jervis.

SOURCE Easter Seals New York