WILMINGTON — The Clinton County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Board of DD) recently completed a second Go Baby Go car. This car was given to a little girl named Abby and was generously sponsored by Bush Auto Place.
The car was a Mini Cooper and was modified by a student at Wright State University, Aaron McCarren.
Go Baby Go is a program that was founded at the University of Delaware. Since its launch, many other states have adopted similar models. In the Board of DD’s program, motorized/Power Wheels cars are adapted for children with mobility-related disabilities.
The cars provide safe, supportive fun for children in our community, and also have the potential to provide aspects of physical therapy, increased muscle strength, and independent movement, said Clinton County Board of DD Community Integration Coordinator Sarah Edwards.
Pediatric wheelchairs typically cost thousands of dollars. The Board of DD is able to purchase, modify, and customize its cars for about $300 to $500 depending on the needs of the child.
The cars are loaned to children under specific guidelines and then returned for future use by another child.
The goal is to foster independent mobility and encourage the child to be mobile without need of a car, Edwards said.
