Tifton Hears About New Child Abuse Prevention Program

· Reading Time: 2 minutes

tifton-diversified

Danny Hoover and Dave Wilbur, both with Diversified Enterprises, were  guest speakers at Exchange Club of Tifton. Dave is the new Director for Diversified Enterprises.

Danny first told the Club a little more about what Diversified Enterprises does. They have recently formed a new group called PACT, Parent Advocacy Coalition of Tiftarea. This group will work with children and adults with intellectual disabilities even further.

Diversified Enterprises recently hosted a panel with various agencies in the community who deal with child and sexual abuse. They especially focused on the alarmingly high rates of abuse among children and adults with intellectual disabilities. During this panel, a new film, Touched, was also shown.

Danny said that the earlier a child is identified with having a disability, the more help they can receive and be better prepared for adulthood. There are so many things that can come along with an intellectual disability, but Diversified wants to make sure that those people have the most support possible.

Dave added that Diversified Enterprises, based in Tifton, serves 138 people in eight surrounding counties. They offer day services for adults (feeding, transportation, etc), host homes (an alternative to group homes), as well as group homes and employment. There are approximately 250 people on their payroll. The group works hard to match the skills of an adult with a job that is available in the community.