Through our strategic partnership with the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, FHSR directly funds the following key support positions:
- Hart Family Cochlear Implant Education Coordinator
- Audiology Hearing Aid Technician
- Loaner Hearing Aid Bank
- Bilingual Social Workers
- Community Outreach / Mentorship program
READ Literacy Program:
FHSR’s support of the READ literacy program the Chicago Hearing Society/ CHOICES program puts books in the hands of the children who need them the most. Our finding allowed for the expansion of the program into Central and Southern Illinois, two areas that lack many resources to address the needs of the deaf/ hard of hearing child.
The Foundation for Hearing & Speech Rehabilitation is proud to announce the Music To My Ears Scholarship Fund commemorating the Foundation’s 60 th Anniversary. FHSR is dedicated to helping children living with hearing loss since 1958.
The scholarship will provide one year of tuition-free early childhood music classes to (up to 4 years of age) who are deaf/hard of hearing and living in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
Research has shown the benefits of children being exposed to music in early childhood. These benefits are increased for a child with hearing loss. From language acquisition to sentence structure, inflection and tone, exposure to music provides indelible positive benefits. The FHSR is proud to foster the love of music in deaf/ hard of hearing children’s lives with our partners:
- Merit School of Music
- Old Town School of Folk Music
The Music To My Ears Scholarship Fund will allow all children, regardless of financial need, to attend weekly music enrichment classes and experience the joy of music with their caregivers and hearing peers.
Partners matter.
In addition to supporting the key positions at Lurie, we believe in the power of community. Therefore the over arching goal of FHSR is to create a community for families in Illinois who have children with hearing loss. Both the Board of Directors and the Associate Board are highly involved in finding interesting and unique ways to bring this group together. From free family concerts to outings at local venues, social media and mentorship programs, our goal is to make sure no child with hearing loss feels isolated or alone. We work to find opportunities for kids of all ages to bond and create strong ties that provide support in their daily lives.
Get involved… As important as it is for these kids to have a community, it is equally important for parents to find other like situated parents. Parents’ insight and experiences are crucial to keeping the conversation going. By joining our community we will work together to create awareness around issues of pediatric hearing loss and support our kids in their journeys.
Sound experience.
Cheers for Ears, our free family concert that celebrates the powerful intersection of hearing and music was created six years ago. It brings children with hearing loss together for an afternoon of entertainment and community. Music not only provides an opportunity for the kids to connect with each other, it opens the door to so many possibilities. As parents our first instinct may not be to integrate music into our deaf/ hard of hearing kids lives. Seeing a group of kids with hearing loss reveling in the joy of a concert reminds us of the powerful connection music creates. As a Foundation, we are dedicated to making music a part of the community.
Resources
It can be hard to locate all the resources when your child is first diagnosed with hearing loss. FHSR works to streamline this process so that you may concentrate on your child and not be lost in a maze trying to find out crucial information about services that address pediatric hearing loss.
