Northwest Center’s Smooth Way Home Program

Northwest Center is a leader in advancing equal opportunities for children and adults with disabilities because we’re there in the fight with them. We support and advocate for people with disabilities to thrive early, learn more, and find a place in the world, from birth all the way through retirement.  Tomorrow, we are asking you to support us in the very first step. NWC has made the commitment to working with families transitioning home from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). ​

For parents of premature babies, one of the happiest moments is also one of the most frightening: the day their baby comes home from the hospital. In one moment, they lose a 24-hour medical support team and must shoulder all the responsibility for a still-fragile child. Because even after weeks or months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), babies well enough to go home may still face challenges coordinating their bodies or eating efficiently.

This is the moment that Northwest Center arrives. Our Early Intervention team supports families in smooth transitions from the NICU to home. Care at this stage means much more than survival; it means giving babies the healthiest future possible. Eighty-five percent of brain development occurs by the time a child turns 3. When babies can master breathing, eating and developmental milestones appropriate to their age level, they can go on to realize their full potential later in life.
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Join us now in providing support at what is the most crucial point of any life: the very beginning. It costs $80,000 per year to support NWC's Smooth Way Home program - giving newborns the help they need with breathing, eating, movement and activity. We want to ensure the continuation of this program for the next 3 years at the cost of $240,000.