Community Outreach Fund

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The Community Outreach Fund, a joint initiative of The River School (River) and Potomac River Clinic (PRC), was created in 2023 to address disparities in hearing health and language development among children from marginalized and underserved communities in Washington DC. Launched with generous support from The Green Family Foundation and The Robert I. Schattner Foundation, the Fund provides no-cost speech-language and hearing screenings, diagnostic testing and access to early intervention programs and therapy services.

Nationwide, approximately 25% of infants who do not pass their newborn hearing screening do not receive the necessary follow-up testing and care; in Washington DC, that number is a staggering 80%. Barriers such as limited access, long wait times, logistical obstacles and insurance challenges contribute to significant delays. Children from marginalized backgrounds are at greater risk for delays in all areas of development when hearing loss is not identified early.

Through the Community Outreach Fund, River and PRC work to remove these barriers, provide equitable access to world-class hearing and speech-language services and ensure that all children with hearing loss in DC receive the timely care and support they need to reach their full potential.

In support of these goals, the Community Outreach Fund encompasses several core program areas:

  • Speech-language and hearing screenings
  • Diagnostic audiological testing for infants who do not pass their newborn hearing screenings at no-out-of-pocket cost to their families
  • ILEAD summer literacy program for children from diverse, marginalized, and/or underserved backgrounds, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing
  • Parent support including the Parent Infant Program

For more information on the Community Outreach Fund, please contact us.