What Good Looks Like

On our blog this month, we consider our past, but we must prepare for our future. Lesley Gudgel, Founder and Executive Director of Sprouts Child Development (Sprouts), and her team do just that. Sprouts Child Development helps our future generations be prepared to continue a focus on humanity. Gudgel’s career has focused on early intervention and developmental care for young children for over 25 years. Early experience on a multidisciplinary Developmental Pediatrics team at a children’s hospital was a huge benefit to her as she grew her organization. As Gudgel explains, “A comprehensive view of care from multiple fields is most beneficial for the child. The diversity of thought helps support the quality of care for each child.” 

When building the model for Sprouts’ current developmental clinics and outreach programs, it was essential to address a child’s needs from many angles. Working with children with special needs clearly meant providing additional help so those children could develop and grow, and it also required considering their extended family’s needs too. To create comprehensive assistance, Gudgel notes that “with consideration of the uniqueness of the situation and the child, we have created an informal network to support engagement, care, and understanding. Families find our facilities a safe space to share and understand.” The care is not only for the children but also for those supporting them.  

Kudos to the community for recognizing the need for the quality-of-care Sprouts provides. The organization continues to grow, and through its collaborative efforts with funders and partners, its Developmental and Therapy clinics have expanded in an attempt to meet the growing needs they see. “Since we opened the clinics, the demand for our services has grown significantly, and we don’t anticipate referrals slowing down,” says Gudgel. Several local foundations provide funding for support services Sprouts offers that are not reimbursable through insurance. Although this generosity is greatly appreciated, more can be done from a funding, staffing, and provider/payor perspective. 

Parents are delighted with the developmental achievements their children make through the work of Sprouts. One of many examples is a mother who recently reported, “When we first started coming here, he wasn’t talking, responding to his name, or making much eye contact. Since coming here and working hard, he now has all those skills and more. We love this place!”  

When asked what makes Sprouts successful, Gudgel states, “Our staff! The team is so passionate about supporting the children, and that passion makes success possible.” Thank you to Lesley Gudgel and the Sprouts Child Development Team for all you do.