The LVL Toy Library and Developmental Playroom has new opening hours after Pesach.  Families in therapy can now borrow toys from 8.00 – 16.00 from Sunday to Thursday.  Annual membership costs 120 shekels plus a security deposit.   

Recommended Reading on the Importance of Play
Play is a Child's Work
by Ziva Schapiro, OTR

In today's competitive world, children are encouraged to get a "head start" on academic life. School readiness has taken on a greater significance as toddlers are taught to sing the alphabet and recognize letters. What about play? Has that taken a back seat to the educational tasks we want our children to accomplish? Many educators and child development experts are concerned about this trend and emphasize that play is how a child learns. To read the full article click here.

Other related articles on this topic:

Why is Play Important? Social and Emotional Development, Physical
Development, Creative Development
By J.P. Isenberg, M. R. Jalongo

This article examines the impact a child's play skills have on his social and emotional development. The author shows how important these skills are for a child to succeed later on in school, both academically and socially...  read more

Play: Important or a Waste of Time? 
by Anita Gurian, Ph.D.

Dr Gurian explains why it is important to invest time and energy in children's play skills. She identifies the impact that play has on all facets of child development and expands on the concept of play as a child's work. read more

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From Risk to Opportunity
coordinated by Vardit Spiegelman, social worker.
This program integrates babies and toddlers with special needs into a regular local RBS day care center. It provides in-house para-medical services to the children.   It is funded by the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) – Ashalim, Ministry of Welfare and Kupot Holim.

We have nine children participating in the program.  Since entering the program in September 2009, the children have started to walk, speak or communicate.  Each day they close the developmental gap through the help of the staff of the center and are now seen by the other children as part of the group. 

Menachem, Yisrael and Randi Lipkin

What the parents say…..
"Beginning in September of 2009 Yisrael entered an amazing daycare center, Maon Rimon in Ramat Beit Shemesh A. The facility is a standard day care center that has accepted developmentally delayed babies and toddlers through a   program with LVL - Mercaz Rakefet. Yisrael spends most of his day with "typical" children and receives his therapies at the facility. I can't begin to tell you the progress he has made at this center.  My wife, who herself is an occupational therapist, and I know that his progress to date this year is largely due to the fact that he is in this integrated environment, as he spends 8 hours a day with typically developing children who serve as role models for him.  His speech, gross motor, fine motor, ADL, and social skills have all taken a huge leap."  Menachem Lipkin - Beit Shemesh

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Success Begins at Home
coordinated by Einat Wultz – speech therapist
This program works with parents and children (6 mths – 3 yrs) from disadvantaged families to develop language and literacy skills through books and toys.  We partner with the Benjamin Children's library in this project which is funded by the UIA – Federation of New York.

We have 27 families in the program. The children participate in all the activities by singing and dancing and their attention span has improved.  During the monthly LVL lectures we discuss child and language development, their parent-child relationship, play and how it is a learning experience.  At each lecture discuss individual issues and have created an atmosphere where each person contributes something from their own experience.  Our program positively influences the way the parents interact with their children and prepares them for the years ahead. 

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Therapy Assistance Fund – giving critical help for 50 families a month.
The following story is just one example of the assistance we give to local children and families.

Recently we were approached by a mother who had been through a difficult divorce.  She and her children had been victims of violence.  Her son has learning disabilities and ADD.  He needed a psycho-didactic evaluation to receive accommodations for the bagrut exams and remedial lessons to cope with his difficulties.  The family has major financial difficulties with long term debts and was grateful for any help offered.  Today, since being evaluated, the son receives remedial lessons subsidized by Ligdol v'Lifroach and will do his bagrut with accomodations as required.  The emotional counseling and case management that we provided has empowered his mother to take charge of the family situation, she is more confident to speak with teachers and utilize her rights in the education system to benefit her son.  Of course, the family has a lot of work ahead of them, but with the help of LVL they definitely have a brighter future.

Ligdol v'Lifroach - Mercaz Rakefet Child Development Center continues to serve over 400 children.  We have 35 therapists working to help your child reach their potential.
We now have significantly reduced waiting lists for:

• Occupational therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Psycho-didactic and didactic evaluations
• Medical consultations for ADHD and behavioral issues
• Remedial teaching
• Emotional counseling and parent guidance

We now work with all four major health funds with agreements with Clalit, Leumit, Macabbi and Meuchedet.

A few places remain in our afternoon chugim in therapeutic sport and Hebrew enrichment.  For more details contact Maayan@ligdolvlifroach.org or call the Center.

"Ot Rosh Ha-Ir" – In December 2009 - LVL received this award from the Beit Shemesh municipality as recognition for our contribution to the local community.

Parenting and play workshop – in January 2010 we began a series of eight meetings to learn how to enter the minds of children during play time.  Under the direction of Mrs Rivka Weinstein, a teacher and music therapist, 10 parents meet weekly to learn how to use playtime to:  The workshop builds the bond between parent and child; helps with setting boundaries, teaches responsibility, builds self esteem and helps us see reality through the eyes of children.   We plan to run more of these workshops in the future.  Sign up for more information.

We were pleased to work together with Lemaan Achai for the 101 lecture series presenting on the following topics:

• Helping parents understand the challenges of being a teenager.
• How to keep our children safe – the internet, its dangers and ways to harness its influence.
• Learn the tools to fight the high school blues.
• Hungry to be heard – an Introduction to eating disorders in the orthodox community.

Dates and topics of the next lectures will be advertised soon.

Batmitzvah program – Once again we are working with the 6th grade girls from Etrog Elementary School.  During February the girls sold key rings/shop trolley tokens in RBS to raise money for LVL and will be making didactic games for children as the next part of this program.

Our Parenting Lending Library has many new books in English and Hebrew.  Yearly membership to the library costs 40 shekels.  Many thanks to Riki and Yissachar Fried on the donation of books in memory of Richard E Rudolph. (insert photo)

Mr David Baruch, manager of the RBS branch of Bank Hapoalim

The 5K Community Walk/Run (November 2009) raised funds for LVL through participation and sponsorship monies.  Close to 1000 people attended the event.  LVL has earmarked the money to develop our Toy Library and Developmental Playroom to benefit children in RBS/BS.  
 
 
 

Mid-year appeal - the start of the new school year brings expenses for us all but think about the parents whose children need extra remedial lessons to get through school or the children who cannot cope at home without emotional therapy.  Health funds do not cover these expenses – Ligdol V'Lifroach DOES!  With growing demand for our help through the Therapy Assistance Fund, our resources are always stretched. 

Sign up to host an "LVL Aruchat Boker Israelit" either here in Israel or overseas – invite 10 people for breakfast to help us raise funds to give more children a better start to the school year.  Contact Emma Link – emma@ligdolvlifroach.org for details. 

Ruti Bachar – Bat Sherut – on her marriage to David.
Liat Levit – Secretary – on her engagement to Shimon.
Talia Cohen – Coordinator of the Remedial Teaching Program – on the birth of Hillel Yemin.
 
 

In Israel: To contribute to LVL – a tax deductible organization (Tax ID no. 580436863) send checks made out to “Ligdol V’Lifroach Child and Family Services”, Sderot Tzeelim 6, Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Or by credit card by calling our Center on 02-9920497 to give your details. 

In the USA: US Tax deductible contributions of at least $25.00 may be sent (and must be made payable) to PEF Israel Endowment Fund, Inc, 317 Madison Avenue, Suite 607, New York, NY 10017 with a note clearly stating that it benefit Ligdol v'Lifroach Child and Family Services.

Donate your time –If you have ideas and enthusiasm, an understanding of children in need, and have time to give to organizing events, we would like to hear from you.  Please contact emma@ligdolvlifroach.org.