Innovative Services NW Responds to COVID-19

Our Early Learning team has been hard at work throughout the pandemic, adapting to providing both distance and in-person services. We are proud to offer a space for children to play, learn, rest, and be nourished. In an average week, our staff makes over 250 phone calls to families, replicates our in-classroom lessons with videos posted to YouTube, and delivers over 80 packets full of activities for families to do at home. In addition, our kitchen has leveled-up to provide nearly 600 meals to families on a weekly basis to make sure none of our families go hungry on the weekends. We are also integrating nutrition education and collaborative family cooking opportunities in to the meal services, such as cooking videos and make-your-own pizza activities. We currently have in-person and distance learning openings for ages 12 months – 5 years. Fee subsidies are available for families who qualify. Call 360.823.5156 or email soman@innovativeservicesnw.org for more information.

The Janitorial Services team has scaled up to provide extra disinfection work every week to keep critical buildings in Clark County safe and sanitary, such as CRESA/911, the Center for Community Health, the WHO winter shelter, and three ESD112 childcare centers. We are also so thankful for our clients who have continued to retain our services during this time. This has enabled us to increase working hours for existing staff and also provided temporary employment for others in the community who have lost their regular work. We currently have availability for deep cleaning of floors and carpets, as well as ongoing office cleaning. Please call 360.823.5169 to inquire about services.

The Employment Services team continues to support their participants through job changes such as reduced hours, filing for unemployment, job searches, and learning how to incorporate new health and safety practices. For participants in the program who themselves are essential workers and have continued to go to work, we have supported them in becoming comfortable wearing gloves and face masks and trained in use of electronic communication such as text and video calls. It is so important to maintain regular contact and emotional support during periods of vulnerability and this team is all-in on helping our clients retain or regain their employment.

Businesses who are interested in an inclusive workforce can call us at 360.823.5173 for more information.

Our Pediatric Therapy program successfully transitioned from in-person therapy services to telehealth through a generous technology grant from the Community Foundation for SW Washington. We have continued to provide Early Intervention, Speech, and some Occupational and Physical therapies through virtual visits and our clinic reopened for limited in-person visits this fall. Our therapists have been collaborating with our Early Learning team to provide content on our YouTube channel for families to continue their children’s fine and gross motor skill development at home. Intake appointments for Early Intervention are available. Please call 360.750.7507 for a referral or to schedule an appointment. We are also taking referrals for speech, occupational, and physical therapies. Please call 360.823.5147