BEYOND BLINDNESS LAUNCHES NEW PARTNERSHIP
WITH ORANGE COUNTY HEAD START
O.C. nonprofit to expand its inclusive early education program, creating greater access
to critical services for children of all abilities
SANTA ANA, Calif. (March 4, 2025) – Beyond Blindness, Orange County’s only nonprofit provider of early intervention, education and enrichment, and family support services for children with visual impairments and other disabilities, today announces its new partnership with Orange County Head Start that will launch in the summer of 2025.
A longtime advocate of inclusive education, Beyond Blindness currently serves the community with a breadth of services including a robust early education program that offers inclusive infant, toddler, and preschool education and care in a classroom environment on its campus in Santa Ana. Serving more than 80,000 children and their families since 1995, Head Start programs in California are leveling the playing field for those with disabilities and creating a foundation of lifelong learning through experiences tailored to their unique educational, emotional, social, health, and nutritional needs. The partnership with OC Head Start will enhance awareness of Beyond Blindness’ unique services and create more meaningful opportunities for children with visual impairments and other disabilities to learn and grow alongside their sighted peers.
“We are excited to partner with OC Head Start and provide our inclusive learning environment to more children and families in need across Orange County,” says Angie Rowe, President and CEO of Beyond Blindness. “Inclusion is a core value at Beyond Blindness, so this is a natural evolution for us and will strengthen our efforts to foster a sense of belonging for all children, regardless of ability, while supporting each child’s individual development.”
“As the Executive Director of Orange County Head Start, I am thrilled about this partnership with Beyond Blindness,” says Michael Patterson. “This collaboration will allow us to expand our reach and provide critical services to children with visual impairments and other disabilities. We believe that every child deserves access to quality early childhood education, and this partnership will help us achieve that goal.”
Through the OC Head Start partnership, Beyond Blindness will meet an urgent need in the community with free, comprehensive, no-cost services for eligible families, especially those with children with visual impairments and other disabilities. The new partnership will enhance and expand Beyond Blindness’ early childhood education program to accommodate 64 children, including 28 infants and toddlers and 36 preschoolers, at its Santa Ana campus.
An enhanced curriculum and facility upgrades on campus will take place over the coming months, including classroom improvements and two renovated playgrounds for the both the preschool children and infants and toddlers. Playground renovations are made possible thanks to generous charitable gifts from the Dean family, the Del E. Webb Foundation, the Dhont Family Foundation, Enterprise Bank & Trust, and Pacific Life Foundation, with seed funding from Orange County Head Start. Renovations are anticipated to be completed this spring, and students are expected to begin in the program in summer 2025. Upon official opening, the Beyond Blindness campus will offer childcare from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a year-round basis.
The OC Head Start partnership marks a significant step forward in Beyond Blindness’ strategic expansion, which includes a fast-paced growth trajectory while also driving forward services, access, and inclusion for Orange County children of all ages and their families. The organization has currently reached more than 80 percent of its five-year goal to serve 2,680 children and family members by the year 2027. Beyond Blindness remains the only nonprofit provider of its kind in Orange County, serving the community since 1962.
For more information about Beyond Blindness and its early education services, visit www.beyondblindness.org.
About Beyond Blindness
Beyond Blindness’ mission is to empower children with visual impairments and other disabilities to achieve their fullest potential. We are the only nonprofit provider from birth to 22 years of age in greater Orange County with vision as a specialty and the ability to treat vision issues along with other developmental delays that accompany them. Areas of service include Early Intervention, Education + Enrichment, and Family Support, which aim to help children, no matter their abilities, live full and rewarding lives. The Beyond Blindness team embraces a people-first approach and values family, connection, impact, inclusion, stewardship, and optimism. We have been in the community since 1962. For more information, please visit www.beyondblindness.org.
About Orange County Head Start, Inc.
Orange County Head Start, Inc. was established in 1979 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) agency. Orange County Head Start, Inc. is funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to provide Head Start and Early Head Start services throughout all of Orange County, CA. More information can be found at www.ochsinc.org.