Building independence, free of charge

or the past five years, GiGi’s Playhouse Wausau has been quietly redefining what the future looks like for individuals with Down syndrome. Since opening its doors in December 2020, the local achievement center has grown to offer robust programming focused on meaningful development and lifelong independence.

 

Operating entirely free of charge, GiGi’s Playhouse Wausau functions as a lifelong support system for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. The 99% volunteer-run center provides a suite of educational and therapeutic programs spanning from infancy to age 64.

 

“We’re a true nonprofit. We do not bill your Medicare/Medicaid, we have nothing tied to insurance,” said Erica Erdman, founder and manager of the Wausau center. “Everything is designed to be free for families. What we really do is provide programming that’s educational, therapeutic and career development focused.”

 

By offering tailored resources — such as multi-sensory math and reading tutoring, physical core-building exercises and hands-on career training — the organization actively builds participants’ confidence, fosters independence and works to shift the broader community’s perception of their capabilities.

 

The Playhouse has programing for every stage of life, and even offers guidance to mother’s who have received a prenatal diagnosis. For Erdman, the journey to establishing this local resource started with her son.

 

“We discovered the Playhouse network because we have to go to Madison [for medical service] and that’s where I would build in a visit to the Playhouse down there knowing we had a two-week stint at the children’s hospital,” she said.

 

After witnessing first-hand the benefits Playhouse programming offered, Erdman began work on establishing a local center within the Gigi’s Playhouse network, which was finally realized in late 2020. 

 

“We’re considered the smallest playhouse in the network, which is really interesting because we do input just as many hours as a pretty decent-sized Playhouse like Denver or Tampa,” Erdman said.

 

The center fills a desperate need for central and northern Wisconsin families, with individuals traveling regularly from as far north as Land O’ Lakes (on the U.P. border) for programming. But that’s no surprise when considering it’s the only place in the region that actively prepares its participants to enter the workforce or live independently on their own terms. Each area of programming, whether it’s mathematics, reading, physical activity or something else, is designed to supplement education and deliver practical benefits in a holistic approach.