Photos courtesy of All Ears! CenterNews
All Ears! Center launches Zero Delay Program and welcomes two new Board of Directors
Every day matters when a child is born with hearing loss. Research shows that the first three years of life are critical for speech, language, and brain development. Yet many families face delays in accessing hearing technology and specialized therapy due to insurance approvals, financial barriers, or limited access to care.
To address this urgent need, All Ears! Center has launched the Zero Delay Program, an initiative designed to ensure that no child waits for the hearing care they need during the most important years of development.
The Zero Delay Program provides immediate access to hearing technology, audiology services, Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) therapy, and family support for children from birth to age three – regardless of a family’s financial circumstances or insurance status.
Named for its mission, the Zero Delay Program ensures there is no delay between a child’s diagnosis and access to the hearing technology, therapy, and support needed to develop listening and spoken language. The Zero Delay Program is made possible through the generosity of donors, community partners, and grant funding that helps remove financial barriers for families.
As All Ears! Center expands this groundbreaking initiative, the organization is also pleased to welcome two distinguished community leaders to its Board of Directors: John Harris, a respected real estate developer and investor with more than 30 years of experience creating opportunities for families through homeownership, and Kristin Valicevic, a Human Resources executive with Halliburton whose expertise in leadership development and organizational strategy will help strengthen All Ears! Center’s mission and future growth.
“We are thrilled to welcome John and Kristin to our Board of Directors,” said Lee Rech, Executive Director of All Ears! Center. “Their experience, leadership, and commitment to serving others will help guide All Ears! Centeras we continue expanding access to hearing healthcare and Listening and Spoken Language services for children and families.”
For Harris, joining the board is deeply personal. “As a child, I learned during a routine hearing test that I had been deaf in one ear my entire life,” Harris said. “Fortunately, it had little impact on me, but it made me realize that many children face hearing challenges with far greater consequences. Every child deserves the opportunity to hear, communicate, and reach their full potential. I’m honored to support All Ears! Center and the Zero Delay Program because it ensures children receive life-changing care when every moment matters.”
Valicevic said she was inspired by the organization’s commitment to removing barriers for families. “I’m honored to join the All Ears! Center Board of Directors and support an organization that is transforming lives through early intervention and hearing healthcare,” Valicevic said. “The Zero Delay Program reflects a powerful commitment to ensuring that no child has to wait for the services they need during the most important years of development. I look forward to helping advance this mission and expanding its impact throughout our community.”
“When a child is diagnosed with hearing loss, time is one thing families simply cannot afford to lose,” said Rech. “The Zero Delay Program removes the obstacles that can stand between a child and the care they need. Every day of listening builds the foundation for speech, language, literacy, and lifelong success.”
Children who receive early intervention are significantly more likely to develop age-appropriate language skills, enter school ready to learn, and communicate confidently with family, teachers, and peers. The program ensures families can begin that journey immediately instead of waiting weeks or months for insurance approvals or financial assistance.
Since opening its audiology clinic in 2022, All Ears! Center has experienced tremendous growth. Today, the nonprofit serves families across 40 Texas counties and 234 ZIP codes, with more than 3,000 patients, including 1,400 children under age five and 300 infants and toddlers from birth to age three. The Zero Delay Program builds on this growth by ensuring the youngest children receive services as quickly as possible, when intervention has the greatest impact.
The program reflects All Ears! Center’s commitment to ensuring every child has the opportunity to develop listening, spoken language, literacy, and independence through comprehensive hearing healthcare and Listening and Spoken Language services.
“We believe a family’s financial situation should never determine a child’s future,” Rech added. “Through the generosity of our donors and community partners, we’re able to give children the best possible start—and that’s truly life-changing.”
Community support plays a vital role in sustaining the Zero Delay Program. Donations help provide hearing technology, therapy services, and family support for children whose families might otherwise face delays in care.
To learn more about the Zero Delay Program or to support this initiative, visit www.allearscenter.org or call 936-251-3021
Founded in 2014, All Ears! Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children who are deaf or hard of hearing learn to listen, speak, read, and thrive through Listening and Spoken Language (LSL). In 2022, the organization expanded its services by opening a full-service audiology clinic, allowing it to provide comprehensive hearing healthcare for children and adults while supporting its mission of ensuring every child has access to the hearing and speech services they need. Today, All Ears! Center serves more than 3,000 patients across 40 Texas counties and remains committed to helping individuals of all ages Hear and Be Heard.
Source: All Ears! Center
