04/11/2024
When designing our Downtime Lounge, we wanted to offer families more than a traditional waiting room. We created a beautiful light-filled space that is pleasant for the whole family to spend time in before or during appointments. Our wrap-around banquette offers plenty of seating and table space for those who want to catch up on emails or homework, color, or play with the blocks and games we've sprinkled around the room.
We also offer private Parent Pods for times when a parent or caretaker might need privacy to take a phone call, hop into a meeting, or just enjoy a moment of peace and quiet. We added this Parent Pod feature because we've heard from so many people over the years how difficult it is to balance work with managing their child's care.
The research tells the same story. Seventy-four percent of parents have had to take some time off of work to support their child's mental health or academic wellness. This number jumps to 83% for parents of neurodiverse children. Missing work can add stress to an already stressful situation. At Leiya, we believe mental health care providers can – and should – do better for families. Parents and children deserve to be able to prioritize their wellbeing without falling behind at work or risking their job. We know this issue is complicated, but we hope we can be part of the solution and ease stress on our families by providing a comfortable place for all to work and play.
📑 Source: In June 2023, RethinkFirst carried out a study titled 'Mental Health in the Classroom: Assessing Effects on Children, Teachers, and Working Parents'. They surveyed 2,000 parents nationwide, including 1,000 parenting answering questions about their neurotypical child and 1,000 focused on their neurodiverse child.
