Spokane County
It takes a lot of compassion and understanding to care for 559,400 people. This is about the number of residents in Spokane County right now. That’s 559,400 individuals of all different ages with different backgrounds, opinions, jobs, homes, and countless other factors that set us apart as humans.
As a government institution, Spokane County is responsible for taking care of those lives and making the county a better place to live than it was the day before. Made up of over 2,000 employees, they work tirelessly to improve those 559,400 stories.
Maddie’s Place had the honor of sitting down with Spokane County’s Commissioner Mary Kuney and Director of the Community Service Department Justin Johnson to discuss their hearts behind their work and the county’s decision to allocate $600,000 to our organization.
It was clear from our conversation that Commissioner Kuney and Johnson are both overflowing with compassion and an understanding of the needs of the community. They care for the community well by seeking to address both the downstream and upstream issues in Spokane County.
Johnson saw an opportunity at Maddie’s Place to do just that. With the opioid epidemic crippling Spokane and with newborns entering the community with severe withdrawals, Maddie’s Place stood as a small beacon of hope in the darkness. So, Justin made sure that every Spokane County Commissioner and other county officials could witness that hope.
“When we went and visited Maddie’s Place, I had to tear [Commissioner Kuney] away from the babies,” says Johnson. “She spent an additional hour just holding babies, not because she had to, not because there were questions she needed to ask, but because in the moment, she lived it.”
It was in that moment that Commissioner Kuney witnessed an upstream need that could impact the future. She recounted, “When you go to Maddie’s Place and you hold that baby, and you put that baby up to your heart, you just know that that’s a little precious person who is going to be a part of our community.”
Her realization spoke volumes. And when the other four county commissioners also witnessed the hope at Maddie’s Place, the next steps were clear.
“What better way than to invest in people where real true change exists.” – Johnson
So, when the county made the decision to allocate $600,000 to the growth and expansion of Maddie’s Place, they did not just address the gap that their data found in resources for prenatal, substance-exposed newborns. They also cared for the people in front of them– the future toddlers, the future teenagers, the future grown and healthy community members giving back after receiving a chance at a normal, healthy life.
To everyone working at the county: thank you. Thank you for seeing the mission behind the Maddie’s Place vision and for dedicating your time and energy to make Spokane County better than it was the day before. Our organization, our infants, our parents would not be where we are today without you.
Premera
Back in 2019, Maddie’s Place needed to raise $1.25 million to purchase our current facility.
“Premera was the first big foundation that we met with and they were our first big gift. Premera also put us in touch with other partners and support cascaded.” –Tricia Hughes, Founder and Clinical Director of Maddie’s Place
Premera’s generous grant helped Maddie’s Place purchase the building. As of today, that space has been a home to 96 infants and 48 parents, with 67 parents receiving wraparound case management services. That’s 163 lives changed for the better. And we are just getting started.
We would not be where we are today without Premera’s gift and partnership. Thank you for your mission through Well Beyond to improve the health of those in underserved communities.
Empire Therapy
Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome are born with many kinds of developmental delays, requiring specialized intervention. One area of delay that can be detrimental to an infant’s future well-being has to do with their reflexes.
Specializing in neuro-developmental and neurological diseases, Empire Therapy utilizes primitive reflex integration to help infants operate at full capacity. In other words, they encourage natural development by helping involuntary reflexes (movements that can be uncomfortable or painful, typical for infants exposed to substances in the womb) become voluntary reflexes (movements without pain or restriction).
This kind of specialized therapy is setting our infants up to become healthy, functioning adults. We are incredibly grateful for their services and the life-changing work they are doing for our infants and parents!
Infant Care Specialists
Infant care specialists (ICS) are vital to the life-changing work at Maddie’s Place. With six ICS per shift, 24 hours a day, our infants struggling through withdrawal always have someone attending to their needs. ICS feed, change, console, and interact with the infants. They are the constant support that these babies so desperately need.
“You just spend so much time with them in some of their hardest times… I try not to look at any part of the day as a task; it’s a bonding moment. So, [with] feeding and diaper changes– [I am] trying to make all of it as happy of an experience as possible.” –Sarah, Infant Care Specialist
Should a parent stay with their infant at Maddie’s Place, ICS then serve as teachers and friends, providing them with the support they need while walking through their own recovery journey.
ICS are the heart and soul of Maddie’s Place. Because of their willingness to bond with and attach to infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, those infants have a fighting chance to grow and develop into healthier adults.
We are so grateful for all of our infant care specialists and the immense impact they are having on our babies and parents!
Parent Impact Testimony
“I feel like I have purpose now, and that’s something I’ve never really have felt before.” – David, Maddie’s Place Alumni
This video truly captures the impact that Maddie’s Place has had on the parents of infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome– and how their recovery has positively impacted the well-being of their baby.
Because when a parent is thriving in recovery, they are in the headspace necessary to take on the challenges of caring for a baby withdrawing from substances.
When a parent is thriving in recovery, they are more loving and attentive to their infants’s needs.
When a parent is thriving in recovery, they can get a job and attain a home to provide for their baby.
And often, we will find that their motivation to keep fighting in recovery is just that: to do everything they possibly can to be the best mom or dad for their baby.
Registered Nurses
Maddie’s Place has an RN onsite 24 hours a day. RNs weekly assess our infants and daily track their symptoms of withdrawal. They handle everything from administering medication to overseeing emergency protocols.
Because infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome can face so many health complications, it is vital to have someone with a medical background onsite at all times. Their wide understanding allows them to see the big picture of an infant’s health and ensure that communication between the nurseries and providers is clear and seamless.
RNs are the best teachers and supporters of our infant care specialists and the parents who stay at Maddie’s Place. Their guidance and expertise make both parties feel comfortable asking important questions to keep growing. We are so thankful for the major impact they have on our infants and parents!
Volunteers
A cuddler’s primary role at Maddie’s Place is to… you guessed it… snuggle the babies! Our cuddlers are integral to the work we do at Maddie’s Place. Whenever there is a need, they are quick to volunteer their time to assist the nursery staff and make sure every baby has all the snuggles they need.
“I feel like when I hold a baby… I surround them with love. And with that comes, in my heart, peace and joy. And hopefully a little bit of that will go towards the babies.”
-Jane, Cuddler
Infants exposed to substances in the womb require a lot of extra attention and care. For example, some infants cannot tolerate being put down. They need a steady hand, an organized heartbeat, a warm embrace. And our cuddlers give them just that.
We are so grateful for our volunteers who go above and beyond to care for our infants, serve their parents, and support our nursery staff!
Foster Families
Sometimes, infants exposed to substances in the womb do not have a parent who is involved or in the position to care for them. In these cases, Maddie’s Place will work with the Department of Children, Youth and Families to find a suitable foster placement.
Maddie’s Place is intentional in the process of finding a new home for our infants. It is important that the placement be with a family able to offer the infant the support and care necessary to combat the setbacks they face with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
One of our babies was discharged to the quiet home of Jeremy and Joanna, whose open hearts and compassionate souls proved an excellent placement for the time that she was with them. In a rare case, they also later adopted an infant from Maddie’s Place who was needing a permanent home.
“We tried to do some continuity of care and learn how to take care of baby… All the things that you all do, we kind of replicated at our house.”
And that they did! Jeremy and Joanna were so mindful of the needs of both babies, seen in how they created their own, low-sensory nursery room or wore them in baby wraps. And because of their intentionality, the infants are thriving.
“It’s good to keep in mind that they didn’t choose this. They need sensitivity and patience. And I think if that child can experience that sensitivity, that patience, that ‘I have needs and they get met,’ they learn that super fundamental, life-changing truth which is that people are trustworthy. And I think if they can learn that people are trustworthy… when they are young, then [they] are good for the rest of [their] life.” -Jeremy
This kind of attachment and bonding is a key element to the well-being of infants with NAS and it is vital to cultivate upon their discharge from Maddie’s Place. We are so grateful for these individuals who step up to the plate and offer our infants that trust and stability. Our work would not be complete without that continuity of care!
This blog was posted on October 25, 2024.
Questions? Suggestions? Email me at emma.jones@maddiesplace.org