Lending Library

What is the Lending Library?

The Early Childhood Equipment Lending Library was created in 2007 in cooperation with the Lorain County Board of DD and the Lorain County Family and Children’s First Council.  The purpose of the program is to provide no cost, short-term loans of therapy equipment and adaptive toys to families of young children with special needs. 

Therapeutic equipment and toys for infants and toddlers are very expensive, and they are often not covered by standard insurance policies.  Many families often cannot afford the out-of-pocket expenses for such equipment/adaptive toys.  Young children change and develop at rapid paces which often results in them outgrowing the equipment quickly.   Many families in Early Intervention do not have the financial resources to purchase/replace adaptive equipment/toys at the same rate their child develops.  Our goal is to make sure families in need have access to therapeutic equipment and adaptive toys so that their children have opportunities to develop, thrive and play!

Who Is Eligible?

Families of children with special needs enrolled in the Lorain County Help Me Grow Program and the Lorain County Board of DD’s Early Intervention Program are eligible.  To apply for the Help Me Grow program call 1-800-729-TOTS.  Others may be permitted to borrow equipment on a case by case basis.  Please contact the library administrator, Valerie Deptula, to discuss your situation.  She can be reached at 440-284-3655.

What Equipment Is Available?

The list of available equipment and toys is continually growing.  As such, it is continually changing.  A general list of items can be viewed on this web page.  If you are in need of an item and it is not listed here, you are encouraged to call the library administrator to see if your needed item has been recently acquired.  If you would like to donate an item, please contact the library administrator, Valerie Deptula, at 440-284-3655.