HONOLULU (HI Now) - Since 1947 Imua Family Services has been a nonprofit agency serving the needs of children in Maui County with special needs, disabilities and developmental delays. The mission of the organization is to empower children and their families to reach their full potential in life. Imua Family has evolved with the times as infliction and difficulties have impacted children in different ways over time, from Polio to Autism and now from Covid 19 to Maui’s Wild Fires. Regardless of the reason for impact Imua Family Services has been the leader in meeting the early childhood developmental needs of children for over 77 years. In order to do so it is also imperative that Imua also change its modalities of therapies and access to services in order to meet the needs of community in an ever changing landscape.
The Imua Discovery Garden is a critical part of meeting children and their families in a safe and peace filled garden environment that reconnects children and families both with a sense of place and history as well as with a outdoor nature based learning environment. To this end Imua Family is committed to preserving and maintaining the lush green and garden 6 acre property so that it remains a place of tenderness and tranquility to best harness connection and restoration of spirit and well being. Since purchasing the property in 2020 Imua Family has worked diligently to restore the run down property with the registration of the Monkey Pod trees as Exceptional Trees, registering the Garde as part of the National Garden Association, and The Morton Arboretum Society. These affiliations show a commitment to maintaining and building a community garden space that will keep the property primarily botanical. This intention will also include the restoration of overgrown areas on the property to include an Ethnobotanical Garden area in front of Maui Historical Society, a space for indigenous plants, Native Hawaiian culture and education. This space will be utilized as an extension of Maui Historic Society and honor the native history of the property. The second primary garden will include the County of Maui Sister Cities Foundation Garden as a garden space to honor Maui Counties many Sister Cities relations where Sister City diplomats from around the world can exchange garden plaques and cultural values with Maui County.
The needs of children in Maui County include, but are not limited to special needs, disabilities, developmental delays, learning disabilities, trauma, abuse, neglect, grief and loss, to name a few. To meet the many needs of children Imua’s services and programs take place in a variety of settings which include but are not limited to the home or natural environment, Imua’s Early Childhood Development Center in Kahului, Imua’s Molokai Office and Imua Discovery Garden where we can provide therapy and counseling in a calm and gracious outdoor space which is both safe and protected. Some of these services include Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Special Education, Behavioral Therapy, Mental Health Counseling and Support, Group and Family Therapies, Counseling and Support.
It is important to know that Imua Family is primarily an Early Childhood Service Provider which means that we focus on the youngest children in our services and programs. Examples are:
- Early Intervention and Early Childhood Development Programs
- Play Imua
- Imua Inclusion Preschool
- Individual and family counseling and support.
Specialty programs include, Camp Imua, Dream Imua, Camp Discovery, and Na Keiki O Emalia.
For more information, visit www.discoverimua.com.
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