Gio’s Garden provides much-needed respite to parents, and structured play, positive social interaction and personalized attention to children with special needs. From birth to age six, children come to Gio’s Garden, a beautiful old Victorian home in Middleton, for three-hour chunks of time. Seven full-time staff, five – ten part-time staff as well as trained volunteers and college interns provide one-on-one attention to each child (a maximum of six children are there at any one time).
Gio’s Garden provides much-needed respite to parents, and structured play, positive social interaction and personalized attention to children with special needs. From birth to age six, children come to Gio’s Garden, a beautiful old Victorian home in Middleton, for three-hour chunks of time. Seven full-time staff, five – ten part-time staff as well as trained volunteers and college interns provide one-on-one attention to each child (a maximum of six children are there at any one time).
When Gio’s Garden opened in 2012, they provided 2,500 hours of care that year. Now, they provide 600 – 700 hours of care each month! When they received the 100+ Women Who Care of Madison Impact Award of $14,785 in 2016 it enabled them to provide an additional 500 hours of care and to support growth in their Service Learning Program for volunteer interns from UW Madison, UW La Crosse, UW Whitewater, and Winona State.
The impact of Gio’s Garden on families and children is summed up in this testimonial from parents Jim and Emily Borenitsch:
“While incredibly rewarding, parenting can be trying and tiring. This is especially true when you have a child with special needs; there are countless additional balls to juggle and the demands can feel endless. Finding time to go grocery shopping or do laundry—much less focusing on your own self-care—can be impossible when all your time and energy is focused on ensuring your child’s needs are met. Finding childcare can also be a challenge, as special needs require special care. We can’t just leave our daughter with any babysitter; her caregivers need to understand her specific needs and challenges, and how to respond to them. Gio’s gives us the relief to know that we have time each week to focus on our other family needs, with the confidence that Eva is being cared for and nurtured, in a setting that is full of fun and love. The relief of knowing that we have time to breathe each week is invaluable. And, the joy on Eva’s face when we tell her ‘It’s a Gio’s Day!’ is absolutely priceless—it is truly her happy place!”
Organization: Gio’s Garden, 2028 Parmenter Street, Middleton
Mission: Gio’s Garden’s mission as a non-profit organization is to nurture and strengthen families with children with special needs (birth through 6 years) by increasing their access to needed services.
Contact: Val Madsen, Executive Director
Impact Award Amount: $14,785