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EFMP hosts fair to diagnose children with special needs

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Krystal M. Jeffers
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  The Airman and Family Readiness Center's Exceptional Family Member Program Family Support hosted a Child Find Clinic and Community Resource Awareness Fair at the Fitness and Health Center here, Aug. 14.

The free annual fair offered a variety of activities like a clinic that screened children's vision, hearing, development, and speech skills for deficiencies.

"The EFMP serves two major purposes," said Jerome 'JC' Brown, 20th Force Support Squadron EFMP director. "One is to work with military members to identify those with special needs within the family. The other is to introduce those families to resources to address those special needs and improve the quality of life of the individual as well as the military family."

The purpose of the fair was to screen children between the ages of 2 ½ and 21 who were not a part of the public school system and connect the families to resources that will benefit the child.

"Often our military family members are enrolled in private schools, home schools, or virtual schools and don't have access to the child find services," Brown said. "The event is so people not enrolled in the public schools have an opportunity to get free screening."

To introduce the families to available resources, multiple base units and community partners set up booths. In addition, there was a carnival with bouncy castles, demonstrations from the Sumter County Sheriff's working dog unit, a fire truck display from the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency services, a Humvee display from the Third Army/U.S. Army Central, and crafting tables where children were able to draw pictures and make rockets from construction paper.

"I thought they did a great job," said Charity Grigg, a military spouse. "I liked how they did hands-on things with the children like building the rockets. I also liked the different vendors that they had set up who offered a wide variety of information, help and services. We appreciate it."

"I think the event was a good example of how the Air Force cares about the (Airmens') families; how they help support the families and their children with special needs," added Staff Sgt. Daniel Grigg, 20th Maintenance Group lead crew member and Charity's husband.

For more information about the EFMP and available resources call A&FRC at (803) 895-1252.