Maren Fund Inc

Our mission is to ensure that children with disabilities are valued and given opportunities to pursue full and active lives.

The Maren Fund, Inc. seeks to positively impact the lives of children with disabilities through education.  Effective educational intervention for children with Down syndrome can significantly enhance academic success and lead to greater independence – if a child can learn to read and do math then they can give back to the community, contribute to society and be steadily employed.  Unfortunately, schools often fail to provide effective instruction.  The Maren Fund’s primary program to support our mission is The Learning Program of St. Louis, a research-based educational program designed and delivered to parents and children with Down syndrome in the St Louis region.  The Learning Program is parent/child focused and empowers parents to teach their child ages 2 – 14 literacy, math and other skills. 

The Maren Fund, Inc. reaches beyond its parent/child Learning Program classes.  We help parents become better advocates for their children and we help educators be better educators.  We have been expanding our scope by coaching parents individually and providing support to teachers, therapists and school administrators. 

Parents and Teachers have this to say …….

“The Maren Fund has given my child a solid academic foundation and a love of learning.  It has helped us become our child’s first and best teacher and has helped us advocate for our child in the classroom.”   Parent of an 11 year old

“The strategies we have learned through Maren Fund training sessions benefit all children with special needs.”  Special Education Teacher

Classes/Services

- 5 Monthly Learning Program Classes

- Behavior Classes & Support     - Advocacy Support

- School Observations               - Training

- School In-Services                    -Tutoring

- Back to School Boot Camp

- Book Clubs

Financially, The Maren Fund, Inc. survives through grants/contributions and volunteer support in administrative positions. This allows us to calculate that only 3% of our budget goes to administrative overhead.  Therefore, contributions to our projected 2014/15 budget of $110,000 go directly to supporting the “nuts and bolts” of the program.  We are a small but mighty organization passionate about providing resources and support to children with special needs and their families in our region.  For more information, please contact Julie Williams at 314-258-2955 or julie@marenfund.org or visit our website at www.marenfund.org.