Meyer Center’s Jeni Kleckley Cain Scholarship Fund supports early intervention for young students

The Meyer Center for Special Children believes every child deserves the opportunity to reach their maximum potential and thrive in their communities. To support that mission, the Jeni Kleckley Cain Scholarship Fund was established to provide critical financial assistance to students under the age of 3, allowing all students access so that no child is ever turned away.

Early intervention is essential in closing developmental gaps and helping children with disabilities progress alongside their same-age peers. With access to the Meyer Center’s education and specialized therapy programs, these children build the foundational skills they need to thrive in school and beyond.

Jeni Kleckley Cain, owner of Monkee’s of the West End, was first introduced to the Meyer Center in 2007 during a Wofford College internship. That experience left a lasting impact, inspiring her to become a passionate advocate for the Center’s mission. Over the years, she has served as Board President and remains one of the organization’s biggest supporters.

“In every child, there is unlimited potential just waiting to be unlocked,” Cain said. “The Meyer Center is where passion meets potential, and I am beyond honored to play a role in making early intervention possible for children who need it most.”

In honor of Cain’s 40th birthday this year, the Meyer Center has launched a campaign to raise $40,000 to support one student through the scholarship, which is the cost per year for one student to attend.

Meet Sofia Williams, the first scholarship recipient:
Sofia Williams suffered a stroke in the womb, leading to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. The left side of her brain has not made neurological connections, causing challenges with movement on the right side of her body. She began receiving occupational, physical and speech therapy at an early age to help develop these connections.

Williams was placed on the Meyer Center’s waiting list in April 2024 after not receiving a spot in the March 2024 lottery. With three children, her parents faced challenges balancing her therapy needs, affordable childcare, and the demands of a five-person household. In June 2024, a spot became available, and Williams joined the Meyer Center at the start of the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 8.

Now in Ms. Lindsey’s class, Williams is thriving.

Williams’ mother, Janie, says that “Sofia is a shining example of the resilience and joy we see in all Meyer Center students. Even though she can’t use her right hand, she never lets that slow her down—she finds ways to miraculously compensate for the things she can’t do. She’s always happy and excited to come to school, and the Meyer Center has been such a blessing to our family. With three kids, having all of Sofia’s therapies provided at school has made a world of difference for us.”

Williams, lovingly called “Fi Fi” by her teachers, is social and greets everyone in the hallways with a smile and wave. Her therapists and teachers are eager to see how she continues to grow and learn.

“In every child, there is unlimited potential just waiting to be unlocked,” says Cain. “The Meyer Center is where passion meets that potential. Fi Fi is walking because of her passionate Meyer Center therapists who believed in her potential. Her parents are beaming with pride, and I am honored to play a role in making early intervention possible for children who need it most.”

How to Give:

Community members can help support students like Williams through the Jeni Kleckley Cain Scholarship Fund:

• Online: Donations can be made at meyercenter.org/scholarship.
• By Check: Make checks payable to Meyer Center for Special Children with “Jeni Kleckley Cain Scholarship” in the memo line.
• March Giving Challenge: A $100 donation during the month of March will help the Meyer Center reach its $40,000 goal and provide a child with life-changing early intervention services.

Join the Meyer Center in celebrating Cain’s legacy by investing in the potential of young children with disabilities. Together, we can change lives—one child at a time.

About the Meyer Center for Special Children

In 1954 Dr. Leslie Meyer founded the Meyer Center with a belief that every child, regardless of disabilities, could benefit from quality education and therapy services. Dr. Meyer’s vision carries through today, where students receive life-changing treatment through a curriculum focusing on social and emotional learning, daily living skills, music, dance, movement, group exercise, and field trips—improving their quality of life, and their families’ quality of life. A South Carolina Public Charter School for students ages three and up, the Meyer Center is the only place in Upstate South Carolina where young children with disabilities can receive all their special education and intensive therapies under one roof, allowing parents the flexibility to work or care for other family members. A place where children often make their first friends, learn to feed themselves and tie their own shoes, the Meyer Center celebrates the impact—both measurable and immeasurable—of 71 years of service to our state’s children with disabilities.