Reflecting on a Decade of Love, Growth, and Support for Children with Special Needs and their Families
One evening in early 2014, over a dinner that would prove to be life-changing, Meyer and Victoria Safdieh sat with activist Michael Wahba. As parents raising three special children, Meyer and Victoria saw firsthand the unmet needs in the community and expressed a deep concern: “The community does not have enough support for children with special needs.” Watching families struggle with limited resources, that evening the seeds of CARE were planted.
Meyer and Victoria began meeting with other families who also had children with special needs, listening to their stories, their struggles, and their hopes. It was a mission to ensure no family would ever feel alone in navigating this path.
CARE started 10 years ago as a small network of eight families navigating the overwhelming world of special needs. For many, finding support, resources, and understanding felt like an impossible task. But when Meyer and Victoria Safdieh founded CARE, they weren’t just creating an organization—they were creating a lifeline, a place where families could be seen and understood, in moments of both joy and struggle.
Today, CARE serves over 600 families, each unique, each vital to our community and has become the vital hub and the only place families in our community with special needs children turn to for guidance, support, hope and strength.
The journey over the past decade has been one of constant growth and adaptation, as CARE expanded to meet the diverse needs of children with special needs. What began with a few families has blossomed into a comprehensive network of support that reaches far beyond what could have ever been imagined in those early days.
One of CARE’s first initiatives was the creation of sibling support. CARE introduced dedicated programs to make sure siblings felt seen and supported as integral members of the family journey. Today, the sibling support programs includes weekly Sib-Shops providing outlets for bonding and fun—a space for siblings to feel they have a community too. Soon after, CARE began to focus on family and community and began to launch many events and gatherings. These gatherings became spaces where children could connect, share experiences, and find understanding from others walking similar paths. CARE’s community events skillfully integrate the special needs community and the community at large.
CARE’s support does not stop with children and siblings. Over the years, CARE developed a range of parent support programs, nights out and events, creating a haven for parents to unwind, to be heard, and to gain strength from each other. Led by CARE’s founder, Victoria Safdieh, and CARE advisor Rachel Mitrani, our weekly mom support group has become a cornerstone for many of our mothers, helping them navigate the complexities and beauty of raising children with special needs. Each week, parents come together to share triumphs, challenges, and a good laugh, finding community, advice, and friendship.
One of CARE’s major milestones was the opening of the in-house therapy clinic, which currently provides over 50 therapy sessions per week for CARE siblings and parents. This space is dedicated to supporting families with the highest level of care, featuring social workers and professionals that provide vital emotional support for the entire family.
As CARE expanded, the need to do more for teens with autism grew, which led to the launch of the Autism Initiative. This program provides a weekly social group for teen boys, offering them a safe, supportive space to build friendships, develop social skills, and enjoy meaningful activities. Each week, the boys grow in confidence and independence, a testament to what can be accomplished when teens with special needs are given the right support.
In the past year, CARE’s growth continued with the opening of a neuro-screening center and, most recently, the launch of CARE’s Deal branch, bringing essential programs and services to even more families.
CARE’s founders- Michael Wahba, Meyer and Victoria Safdieh, recently reflected on the accomplishments and progress of CARE. “Looking back on these last 10 years, we are filled with gratitude for every family who has joined CARE and allowed us to be a part of their lives, to the entire CARE staff that is available at all hours for the families, and of course for our dear friends and supporters,” said Meyer.
“CARE has become what it is today because of its foundation of strength, compassion and love. We are more than just an organization; we are a community, a family, a source of comfort and hope,” said Victoria.
From the first eight families to over 600 today, from special needs programs to regional expansion, CARE’s journey has only just begun! “To every family who has walked with us, thank you for your trust and for letting us be part of your lives,” said Michael.
As CARE looks forward to the next decade, they are committed Be’ezrat Hashem to grow, to adapt, and to reach more families that have a child with special needs, because to CARE, at the heart of it all is one mission: every child and every family, deserves to feel supported and loved. q