Imua Family Services Celebrates 65 Years of Service to Maui

In a letter dated July 26, 1950 to Mr. and Mrs. Fujimoto the first paragraph reads, “At a meeting of the Parent’s Group of the Maui Crippled Children’s Society, a suggestion was made that the Maui Unit provide for a qualified person to take care of the crippled children two and a half days a week. These would be so-called “play periods” for the children that would permit the mother or guardian of the child to have some time off during the week for rest, recreation and relaxation. This would be an interim program until we obtain the services of a full time qualified physiotherapist.”  Sixty five years after Imua Family Services began, this service is still an active part of Imua’s programs today. The group is called Parent Toddler Group (PTG); the difference is that the parents are part of the group therapies, learning through play, and the groups are led by an expert team of Special Instruction Teachers, often visited by Imua’s Team of Care Coordinators, Occupational and Physical Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists.

Imua Family Services was founded on Maui in 1947 to provide physical therapy to children and adults who suffered the crippling effects of polio.  Originally, the agency was organized as the Maui Branch of the Hawaii Chapter of the National Society of Crippled Children and Adults, later known as the Easter Seals Society.

For more than twenty years, the agency operated out of a small wood frame cottage behind the old Kaunoa School in Spreckelsville.  Speech therapy and occupational therapy services were added to the program shortly after it began.  In 1973, upon completion of the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku, the agency moved to the new facility that included an outdoor warm water therapy pool.  Comprehensive infant development services were initiated in cooperation with the Hawaii Department of Health.

At a time when the agency was the only physical therapy facility on Maui, adult services were expanded and audiology services were initiated.  Agency volunteers organized a recreational summer camp project for school aged children with special needs, which became an annual one week event known as Camp Imua.  In 1979, the directors of the Maui Branch voted to disassociate from the Easter Seal Society and created an independent non-profit agency.  The local agency was incorporated as The Society for Crippled Children and Adults of Maui County and became a member of Maui United Way.  In 1991, the name was changed to Imua Rehab.

In 1990, Imua and the State of Hawaii Department of Health, Maui Public Health Nursing Section partnered in a program with the purpose of assuring early prenatal care for low income women who lacked health insurance.  The two agencies designed and implemented a program of perinatal support services called Malama Na Makuahine, meaning “To Care for the Mothers”.  In 1996, funding cuts from the Hawaii Department of Health resulted in the discontinuation of the program.

With changes in health insurance benefits, some island medical facilities began developing outpatient physical therapy services.  Imua Family Services could not afford to maintain its certification for Medicaid reimbursement and focused more on grant and contract funded services for children with developmental delays and special needs.  As the public school system incorporated speech, occupation, and physical therapy services into its program of special education, Imua Family Services began to specialize in infant, toddlers, and preschool age children.  In 1993, Imua Family Services began the Newborn Hearing Screening Program at Maui Memorial Medical Center in cooperation with the statewide newborn hearing screening program administered by State of Hawaii Department of Health.  In January 1997, Imua Family Services took over childbirth, infant care and breast feeding classes from Maui Childbirth and Family Education.  This program ended in 2003 with a board decision to focus our resources on children with special needs.

Throughout the years, the Board of Directors and staff of Imua Family Services have endeavored to offer quality preventative, rehabilitative and life-enhancing health services for children and adults while growing and evolving to meet the Maui community’s changing needs.  This is evidenced by our recent name change to Imua Family Services.

Today Imua Family Services provides comprehensive early childhood development services to children and their families with the support and resources needed to achieve their full potential in life.  Each year, over 2,500 community members on Maui and Lanai receive support from Imua Family Services through the Infant & Child Development Program, Early Childhood Development Program, Newborn Hearing Screening, and Camp Imua.

2012 brings many exciting changes and opportunities for Imua Family Services; this year Maui can anticipate several new events, programs and fundraisers by Imua Family Services, including a public performance at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center of Patrick Henry Hughes, the inspirational young man and author of “I am Potential”. Patrick made his debut national TV appearance on Oprah Winfrey Show, the launch of The Fantasia Ball Gala Fundraiser at the Grand Wailea Ballroom celebrating Imua’s 65 year anniversary, the 15^th anniversary of the Roy’s Restaurants Classic Golf Classic and The First Annual Paddle Imua a stand-up, 6 man, OC1 and prone paddle fundraising event for Camp Imua, and so much more.

If you would like more information about Imua Family Services, please visit our website at www.imuafamilyservices.org or call 244-7467.