As a mother of two amazing boys, I always thought that my job was to teach my children about the world. It wasn't until my youngest was born that I discovered that my job as a mother was tougher than I could ever imagine. My job became stressful on a daily basis and I discovered that my job was to now teach the world about my son.
My youngest son Sean (10 years old) was born differently. By the age of 5, he was diagnosed with 4 different mental health disorders that greatly affected how he viewed and responded to the world. Even with a Master's in counseling, I was not prepared for the daily struggles of raising a special needs child. He and I discovered that the world was not prepared for an amazing kid like him.
I spent years researching everything I could about mental health disorders and special needs children. I came to the realization that very few resources existed to help me as a mother of a special needs child, or the community I live in. Even my local crisis response team with the police department wasn't prepared, trained, or had the resources needed to help him regulate his emotions and cope with stress. This was true not only in my community but all over the world.
Panic sunk in. If no one knew how to work WITH my child, would he become the victim of an uneducated world? Would one of the 17 million kids just like him also be negatively affected? How many parents of special needs children were out there that felt hopeless and alone in their daily life as I had felt. I knew that this could not happen. My purpose in life became to help others and educate them about mental health.
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A loan helped communities and families thrive in the face of mental illness.
Courtney's story
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More about this loan
Business Description
Out of our daily struggles and research on mental health in children, the Invisible Child LLC was started. The mission was near and dear to my heart. My goal became to help families and communities affected or impacted by mental health disorders thrive through sensory play, education, and coaching. If I could help one family or train one first responder, think about the thousands of people that will be impacted positively by my organization.
I knew that there was not just one delivery method I could use to help families like mine and their communities. Just as mental health is a river with lots of streams running out of it, I know that I had to use multiple approaches in my organization. Not only did I need to impact the families of children living with mental health disorders, but I also had to educate and provide resources to the first responders interacting with those families.
The Invisible Child is an initiative in which workshops and training videos on mental health disorders in children are provided to first responders. Keep Calm Sensory Kits full of weighted products (i.e. blankets, etc), headphones, and fidgets to use as tools when responding to the child with special needs are also provided.
Keep Calm Tool Kits is the other initiative of my business that runs parallel to The Invisible Child. This initiative provides families with access to quality fidgets and resources for their child to use, as well as a sensory reduced environment created in a retired, converted ambulance. This mobile sensory room can then be used where and when the family requests. During their time in the sensory room, I will then be able to help coach the family and help them understand how to be proactive versus reactive and work with their child.
What is the purpose of this loan?
Funding acquired will help The Invisible Child (as well as Keep Calm Tool Kits) market the services to a vast audience through both in-person events as well as virtual marketing and provide the tools, training, and resources to both the families and the communities affected by mental health disorders.
I would like to be able to pre-purchase the fidgets, weighted products, and resources to impact the lives of at least 1000 first responders and create a training website that is user-friendly and comprehensive regarding pediatric mental health. I would also like to send promotional materials for the training videos and kits to all school resource officers in the United States. Each officer trained will use both the training received and resources/fidgets with hundreds of students yearly in their district.
The funding will also be used to further enhance the Keep Calm Mobile Sensory Unit, build sensory swing posts off the rig, add easier access into the rig with RV stairs, and stock the rig with a multi tactical sensory wall and other special needs tools. I also want to build out a mobile fidget store that is part of or can be hauled by the ambulance full of sensory tools, fidgets, and resources for families to purchase for their children.
A final use of the money will be to develop a comprehensive website for the parents and guardians of special needs children full of tools, calming techniques, education, and self-care practices for them to be able to use.
Ultimately, my plan is to obtain the community support to offer a building with retail space, sensory rooms, a training facility, and community resources for special needs families. Staff for the business will include adults with special needs to help in the building as well.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What is a risk rating?
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
About The Invisible Child
Lenders and lending teams
Country: United States
Trustee: WWBIC
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Why are you endorsing Courtney?
WWBIC is proud to endorse Courtney for a Kiva loan. As a mother of two with special needs, Courtney's business is her passion and will bring the much-needed resources of coaching, sensory play, and education to help families in her community.
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Loan tags help lenders find loans that match certain areas of interest.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What is a risk rating?
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
Trustee: WWBIC
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Why are you endorsing Courtney?
WWBIC is proud to endorse Courtney for a Kiva loan. As a mother of two with special needs, Courtney's business is her passion and will bring the much-needed resources of coaching, sensory play, and education to help families in her community.
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