The first years of a baby’s life are precious. Especially if your baby is deaf.

The Sound Start Early Intervention Program for deaf and hard of hearing babies is funded in part by The Lake Drive Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization  founded in 1996 by  local community leaders to address the critical financial needs to maintain this life-changing program.

Sound Start teaches hearing-impaired babies and toddlers from birth to age three skills in language, audition, and speech, which are the foundations necessary for learning. If infants with hearing loss get appropriate help from birth to three years old, they can acquire normal communications skills by the time they are five. 

The guarantee of free public school education is not provided to children in the state of New Jersey until the age of three. In fact, funding for this age group falls under the Department of Health. Despite research that supports the benefits of early intervention in fostering long-term academic success for children with hearing loss, state funding covers only a small portion of the cost of services needed to prepare this very young group for a lifetime of learning. Developing diversified sources of funding is not only necessary, but also required of programs receiving any state funding for early intervention programming.

The Lake Drive Foundation depends on donations from individuals, corporations and foundations, as well as fundraising projects and the annual Gala.  Long term, the dedicated Board of Trustees has begun a campaign to establish an endowment for Sound Start so that no child in need of early intervention services for a hearing impairment is denied the precious opportunity to fulfill his or her potential.

To make a donation to the Sound Start Program or receive information concerning corporate sponsorship, contact Sueanne Sylvester at ssylvester@mtlakes.org