Greenwood County is in the Upstate Region of South Carolina.
This office currently serves approximately 40 children with the majority of ages between 5-17.
Prior to the Lily Pad space, children would have an air mattress to sleep on on the floor or they would sit in their case managers’ office.
For this project, we partnered with Immanuel Lutheran Church of Greenwood, SC. They sponsored the spaces by raising much of the necessary funds. Many church members volunteered their time over several Saturdays to prepare, paint, and ultimately install the Lily Pad and organize many parts of the office. We are thankful that this same church family will continue to partner with us to serve the youth that will use this Lily Pad space!
A UNIQUE CHALLENGE…
Space
Greenwood County’s foster care division is adding more case managers to meet the needs of the children in their region. This office was already tight on space and more cubicles will soon need to be added. None of the rooms could be entirely devoted to a single Lily Pad space. Each room needed to serve multiple functions. Ultimately, it was determined that the current conference room would best be used as both a Lily Pad and conference room.
However, it is our organization’s desire that when possible, children have priority in the Lily Pad spaces and don’t have to be displaced during any time they are in the office. Department of Social Services staff shares the same desire. It simply wasn’t an option here, so we had to get creative. That is where the “Un Poco Lily Pad” space was born.
Un Poco Lily Pad
Two visitation rooms became one remodeled visitation room and one “Un Poco Lily Pad”. Immanuel Lutheran Church team chose to refresh the visitation room at the same time we installed the Lily Pads.
The Un Poco Lily Pad is a smaller space that still has the comforts of a Lily Pad. If a conference must take place in the large Lily Pad, a child will have a secondary safe, comfortable “soft place to land” in another location of the office.
Lily Pad #5: December 2022
Department of Social Services Greenwood County, SC
Before: Greenwood DSS' conference room, featuring LP's Sarah Steele Schwab ensuring the window is secure to use this room as a Lily Pad.
After: A dual purpose Lily Pad and conference room.
Every Lily Pad includes a candy jar. According to Griffin Occupational Therapy, "children with sensory processing difficulties can put things in their mouth or chew when they are overloaded too." Lollipops can help calm them down, especially during a difficult transition like foster care. And who doesn't love a little something sweet?
White bed linens that are easy to wash are provided in each space. Children come into care all times of the day and night. DSS strives to have every child sleeping in a home but that's not always practical. If a child enters care in the middle of the night or simply wants to sleep during the day while awaiting placement, they now have a bed and linens available for their comfort. We are eliminating air mattresses one office at a time!
"If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on it's own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices at the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends... So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." I Corinthians 13
Our team includes encouraging signs for children and families in the midst of trauma and separation. This shelf not only holds coloring books, crayons, blankets, a nightlight and a sound machine, but also beautiful reminders that each child is "known, chosen, worthy, loved and enough."
Remodeling a Lily Pad space at Christmas time provided the special opportunity to include a Christmas tree.
Conference table and chairs remain so the room can serve a dual purpose. Also, if family groups use the Lily Pad for visitation, they can use this space to share a meal together.
It's the little things: like a welcoming rocking horse.
We are excited to finally have a Lily Pad with a window that allows natural light in!
Toy storage and floor pillows ready for playtime.
Our classic glider and "You Are Loved" flag (donated generously by Carly Jean Los Angeles) are always included in each Lily Pad. The flag once again is a reminder to those that use this space that they are loved by a Heavenly Father and all the donors, volunteers, and case managers that make these spaces possible.
Dual purpose furniture provides a comfortable place to sleep for a daytime nap or a child brought into foster care in the middle of the night, awaiting placement.
Un Poco Lily Pad
A Little Lily Pad
Before: Storage, kids belongings, donations that needed sorting, air mattress, and little space for a case manager to observe a family visit in the adjoining room.
Before: A desk for case managers to observe family visitation.
After: "Un Poco Lily Pad" complete with all the comforts of a full Lily Pad space.
This space includes plenty of toys and a convertible chair that lays flat for sleeping or reclines for gaming. Each room is also equipped with a monitoring system for safety.
As explained before, each room in this office needed to serve a dual purpose. This room can still be used for a case manager to observe a family visit in the adjoining room, but can also be used for homework or a meal for any child using the space. The added window shade provides privacy between the two adjoining spaces.
The furniture in this room also transforms into a sleep space for naps and late night emergency protective custody removal cases. A sibling group could easily share this room as it has two provided sleep spaces.
Visitation Room
Before: The Greenwood County DSS visitation room.
Before
In progress: The flooring was replaced in both the visitation room and Un Poco Lily Pad to make each room easier to maintain.
After: Easy to clean furniture and a washable rug will help keep this space clean when transitioning between family visits.
Simple additions like washable throw pillows and puffs that can act as a foot stool or a seat provide many functions for this space.
"Personally, if I was a mother with only a limited amount of time with my children, an opportunity to sit and rock them in a rocking chair would mean so much to me and provide an opportunity for bonding. I am so thankful we were able to fit a rocking chair in this visitation space." - Jennifer Tice, Lily Pad Founder
Toy storage and softer lighting help to facilitate a calmer family visitation opportunity.
Family visits often must be observed and with the updated space we hope the observation window is now less intimidating.
Organization
Before: The closet for clothes and donations had become too overwhelming for any one person to tackle. Especially, when case managers are busy caring for families and children in care.
After: Our team, along with volunteers from Immanuel Lutheran Church, sorted and transformed this space into a functional closet that will make it easy for each case manager to find what they need when children first come into care.
Before: This is another space in the office that became a catch all for donations to be sorted and filed. Once again, our team sorted, organized, and provided a functional space to save each case manager valuable time as they find what they need for each child.
After: Car seats were scattered among the office and now there is a car seat station where each case manager can find the right seat for each child they need to transport.
Before: Some organization with unused space.
After: Infant and toddler foster needs center.