Welcome to Helping Hand Children's Center

Helping Hand Children's Center is a pediatric extended care center (PECC) that provides expert skilled nursing and child development services to medically fragile children who may also be technologically dependent.

The staff of Helping Hand Children's Center understands the unique and specialized needs of each child. The program also provides support services to parents.

As an alternative or supplement to in-home nursing care, Helping Hand Children's Center allows parents to return to work or school or attend to other family responsibilities, confident that the unique medical, emotional and developmental needs of their children are being met every day.

Helping Hand Children's Center
2159 Oregon Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
Phone: 717-979-7616
Fax: 717-540-3538

Services at Helping Hand

Each child receives
  • consistent, high quality physician ordered coordinated care
  • constant medical attention and management
  • daily individual nursing assessments
  • early identification and treatment of potential health problems
  • developmental assessments and monitoring
  • coordination of medical care services, and development care
  • daily educational programs including music, art and stories

Other Services Include
  • medicine administration
  • wound care
  • specialized feeding programs and feeding therapy
  • gastrostomy feedings
  • central line care
  • blood draws
  • respiratory care
  • ostomy care
  • oxygen therapy
  • glucose monitoring
  • diabetic management
  • pulmonary therapy
  • tracheostomy care
  • ventilator dependent care
  • pulse oximetry monitoring
  • apnea monitoring
  • dietary and weight management
  • feeding therapies through Early Intervention system
  • coordination-occupational, physical, and speech-language development
  • other physician prescribed therapies

Who Attends Helping Hand?

Who qualifies to attend Helping Hand?
  • Any child who is medically fragile and/or mentally impaired
  • Any child who would qualify for any in-home services
  • Any child with a short-term acute need for rehabilitative care
  • Any child with long-term medical needs
  • Any medically fragile child who is in the care of biological parents, or CYF appointed guardians

Children's skilled nursing needs may include:
  • Tracheostomies
  • Feeding Tubes
  • Seizure Disorders
  • Ventilators

Cost to Attend

Medical Services Fees
The medical component of the program is reimbursed by third party insurance. Charges are determined by the complexity of the medical need of the children. Helping Hand has contracts pending with most insurance companies.


Child Care Fees
The child care fee is separate and is the responsibility of the parent(s). The fee is $20.00 per day. For families that can not afford the child care fee, Helping Hand staff will assist them in attaining monies.

Daily Schedule and Curriculum

Helping Hand believes that in addition to skilled nursing care, that child development and education programming are an extremely important part of what we strive to provide the children.

Our child care associates help children to make gains in accomplishing growth of their environment. Helping Hand will provide daily participation in areas such as music, outdoor play, arts & crafts, and more.

Helping Hand will provide a daily and monthly curriculum schedule to the parents and children in our monthly newsletter.

Sample Curriculum for Upcoming Months

June
Themes: sea life, oranges, all about horse and buggies
Letters: B (boy) Y (you) H (horse)
Number: 1
Color: Orange

July
Themes: 4th of July, watermelon, all about the American Flag
Letters: G (girl) O (our) F (flag)
Number: 2
Color: Red

August
Themes: Parents, all about dogs and cats
Letters: C (cat) D (dog) A (animals)
Number: 3
Color: Blue

Benefits of Helping Hand

For Children:
Consistent, highly skilled pediatric nursing care results in fewer hospital admissions and emergency room visits.

Activities, interaction with other children and therapies helps children receive the physical, emotional and intellectual stimulation that he or she needs to live a fuller, happier life and reach developmental potential.

Helping Hand works closely with other agencies, organizations in the area to assist with transitioning children from Helping Hand to school programs that will meet their educational needs.

For Parents:
Parents receive information and assistance in managing the needs of their medically fragile and/or technology dependent children.

Parents can return to work or school with the peace of mind knowing that their children are taken care of by a professional staff that cares in a comforting environment.

Parents are encouraged to participate in parent meetings with other families with medically fragile children.

Parents receive needed respite from the stress of caring for a medically fragile child that enhances the emotional and psychological well being of the family.

How to Enroll

The Helping Hand Children’s Center staff will be there to assist you throughout the enrollment process.

To enroll your child in Helping Hand Children’s Center:

  1. To determine if Helping Hand Children’s Center is right for your child and whether there are openings. Call Pat Rose, at 717-979-7616.
  2. Schedule a tour of Helping Hand Children’s Center.
  3. Contact your physician to obtain a letter of medical necessity for your child to attend. 
  4. After the above is completed, Helping Hand Children’s Center clinical coordinator will then obtain authorization from your insurance company for your child to attend Helping Hand Children’s Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Must a child attend Helping Hand all day, every day?
A: Children may attend Helping Hand full time or part time.


Q: Will my insurance pay for Helping Hand?
A: Helping Hand maintains contacts with most insurance carriers in our area. Our center will contact the insurance carrier about the payment, after first receiving the prescription from your child's physician.


Q: Is Helping Hand a preschool?
A: No, however, our children's center is an educational child care center that provides appropriate activities based on the child's individual needs.


Q: Does Helping Hand provide "respite care"?
A: Helping Hand does not provide unscheduled respite or "drop off" service. Children can attend for as little as part of one day per week, as long as it is scheduled.


Q: Is Helping Hand open on weekends, and what are the hours of daily operation?
A: Currently Helping Hand is closed on weekends. The current hours of operation are 6:00am to 6:00pm Monday thru Friday.


Q: Does Helping Hand accept children with behavior problems and/or mental health problems?
A: Children with medical needs and/or behavioral/mental health needs are eligible as determined on an individual basis.

Parent's Resources

National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) - http://www.nccic.org/


National Organization for Rare Disorders - http://www.rarediseases.org/


PA Health Care Information - http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/Health/


Behavioral Health Services for Children - http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/Child/BehavHealthServChildren/


PA Child Care Links - http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/Child/ChildCare/

Employment Application

Apply for employment with Helping Hand Children's Center by downloading the employment application provided on www.HelpingHandPA.com/Employment.php website. After completing this application, please fax to
717-540-3538. Please contact Pat Rose at 717-979-7616 with any questions.

Elite Staffing Services Inc will be handling employment for Helping Hand Children's Center.

Helping Hand Children's Center - 2159 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601
Phone: 717-979-7616  Fax: 717-540-3538