Via West Family Adopts 17 Special-Needs Children   

Ann and JD Drosche Share Their Story

Ann and JD Drosche had three boys of their own but loved children so much they adopted 17 more.  According to Ann, she and her husband thought "their three boys were perfect, but as it turns out they each had a reading disability." She said that "as the boys got older we decided we wanted more children and, given our experience with our three boys' mild disability, we made a conscious decision to adopt children with special needs."  Today, almost two decades later, the Drosche family  has grown to 22.   

Of the 11 young adults still at home, nine attend a weekly summer session at Via West Campus.  Ann says they love their time at Via West and talk about it all year long.  Son Vaughn, 27, says, "The first day is the happiest day of the year."  Daughters Linda, 33, and Sharon, 29, wear their Via bracelet for months after leaving.  They especially like the counselors, horseback riding, swimming and performing in the musicals. Most of all they like making new friends and seeing old friends.  It really is their favorite week of the summer. 

Brothers Jared (left)  and Michael (right) Drosche decorate cupcakes at Via West's 2011 Fall Festival 

New Staff Members For Via Services   

Via Services' First Step Program Expands    

The First Step Early Intervention program, through partnerships with the San Andreas Regional Center, County Office of Education, First 5, the Department of Mental Health, among others, assess young children, 0-5 years who have learning disabilities or are at risk of developing learning delays.  Our multidisciplinary teams assess whether or not children are meeting typical growth milestones, and make recommendations to help families access appropriate services. 

Via's staff members teaching brother and sister Noah and Rebecca to properly pronounce words.  

First Step is budgeted to serve more than 1,700 children this year, a 47% increase over the previous year.  To serve these numbers, Via Services has added 5 new staff members, three Speech/Language Pathologists, one Occupational Therapist, and one Early Childhood Educator, to our diverse bi-lingual staff.  We are excited about expanding our programs as a way of meeting the growing needs of the community.  To learn more about our First Step Program, please click here!  

Via West 2011-2012 Fall-Spring Brochure Out   

Register Your Son/Daughter Today!    

Wednesday, Sept. 14, was the first day of registration for Via West's Fall-Spring weekend program. Don't wait to register your son or daughter for a weekend full of learning, skill building and fun!  Please click here for the full registration program.  If you have any questions about registration, payment or regional center hours, please contact Molly at 408-243-7861 x214.  If you require financial assistance, please click here for the necessary forms.    

You won't want to miss out on these special weekends, as Via Services has partnered with other non-profit organizations who specialize in different creative outlets.  By partnering with organizations such as the College of Adaptive Arts, Angels On Stage and other industry professionals, we are able to offer a unique experience to everyone who attends our weekends.  We can't wait to share these experiences with you!