Miami Lakes board explores bringing Easter Seals summer/after‑school program to town

At its May meeting the Miami Lakes Special Needs Advisory Board discussed options to establish local special‑needs after‑school and summer programs, including pursuing a partnership with Easter Seals.

A board member described difficulty finding local camps that accept children and adults with higher support needs and said the lack of nearby options forces families to travel outside Miami‑Dade County or rely on limited slots. The member said Easter Seals offers programs with trained staff, described a typical staff‑to‑participant ratio (approximately 1:4 in the speaker’s summary) and noted the organization can work with the Children’s Trust and other grant sources to fund programming.

Board members agreed to invite Easter Seals representatives to the June meeting to outline required space, staffing models, pickup radius/logistics, fee structures and potential grant pathways. Members discussed piloting an after‑school program that could transition into a multi‑week summer camp, and suggested small test programs (spring break or winter break) to build capacity and community awareness before a full summer roll‑out.

The board noted three foundational items to pursue: (1) identify an available facility in Miami Lakes, (2) determine funding (Children’s Trust grants and town sponsorships), and (3) confirm program logistics such as transportation and field trips. Board members also discussed charging a modest family fee to encourage consistent attendance if grant funding is obtained.

Easter Seals had not yet presented at the May meeting; staff will request a formal presentation and provide the organization’s website and coordinator contact information to the board ahead of June.