18 Jul 2026 Small steps, huge milestones
By John Patton
Imagine a young couple learning their baby was not expected to live after 14 weeks of pregnancy. And if their baby survived, she would be born prematurely with developmental delays.
Ashley and Stephen Hay of Conway spent six agonizing weeks “living at UAMS” while Leah’s life signs were scrutinized during the pregnancy. Then, they celebrated her birth only to face another challenging six and a half months in neonatal intensive care. Once again, they celebrated as Leah came home, followed by numerous other challenges, including where to turn for the therapy and overall care Leah was going to need after they eventually returned to work.
In the end, they decided on Milestones Services Inc. The program is within walking distance of their home in downtown Conway, and the staff gave them a sense of assurance and compassion. Formerly the Faulkner County Day School, Milestones provides early intervention for children from birth to 5 years of age who have a developmental delay or are at risk of having one due to medical conditions. Milestones also offers childcare spots for typically developing children through the childcare voucher program and for parents paying a weekly tuition.
A year after enrollment, the Hays’ trust in Milestones was rewarded as Leah began reaching her goals. The toddler learned to independently walk with her walker, eat and drink by mouth, and tested out of speech therapy. “Trusting a facility with Leah was an immeasurable stressor followed by an incredible success with Milestones,” Ashley said.
“Milestones truly is a special place that we entrust to teach and push Leah to learn new skills and developmental milestones,” she said. “The program provided Leah with goals through therapy and developmental education so she can be the best version of herself.”
The mother added that the facility’s early and after-care hours fit the family’s work schedules and that she appreciated that the organization includes children without developmental delays in the same classrooms as children with developmental delays.
Executive Director Randy Ohlde explained the Milestones’ philosophy surrounding interaction between the two groups of children. “Children with delays are going to work harder on those skills in the classroom when they learn with their peers,” he said.
There are benefits for the typically developing children. “The interaction also teaches typically developing kids that someone who looks or speaks differently from them is still a child who likes to play,” said Ohlde. “Children from birth to 5 don’t have prejudice. They love on each other. Unconditional love is so critical in early childhood development. We love them and they feel safe.
“In any given classroom, we could have a child who is visually impaired, a child with autism, a child with Down syndrome and a typically developing child playing together at the same time.”
instructor assistant; Libby Smalley, instructor assistant; Kheris is held by Emma Lindgren, classroom instructor; Randy Ohlde, executive director.
Front row: N. Cubias (from left); Ivie; Marielys Rivera Velazquez, instructor assistant; and J. Risner.
About 30 percent of Milestones’ enrollment comprises typically developing children who often act as role models in classrooms. In addition to day care services, parents are drawn to the kindergarten preparedness program.
The kindergarten preparedness program began in 2023 when Ohlde brough kindergarten teacher Judy Lewis out of retirement to evaluate individual children and work with them one-on-one to create lesson plans to challenge them to reach their full potential. She evaluates each child three times per year to track progress and reviews the findings with parents.
“He offered me a position that I could not refuse. I absolutely love working with 4-year-olds,” Lewis said. “The delight on their faces is so heartwarming when they learn something new. I try to relate to them in a childlike manner, and when I see them at Walmart, they run up and hug me.”
Parents, like the Hays, also have a pivotal role. In addition to providing annual reviews on each child’s progress, teachers and leaders try to engage parents by providing tips to stimulate learning at home, Ohlde said. They encourage them to read with their children because when parents give their children extra work, it helps the child develop.
The Hays are invested in Milestones to the point where Stephen will be joining the Board of Directors in the next fiscal year. One of the main focuses of the board is to increase community awareness of the program’s services and lengthy history in Faulkner County.
Although Milestones is a licensed EIDT (Early Intervention Day Treatment) program serving more than 100 families in Faulkner County every year, many people know little about it. Someone once told Ohlde that Milestones is the “best-kept secret in Conway. You guys have been here forever, but no one knows who you are.”
It was established as the Faulkner County Day School in 1961 in the basement of a Methodist church by a retired teacher. The name was changed to Milestones in 2017 after the program’s mission narrowed to focus on children from birth to 5 years old.
Keeping Milestones running — with services like transportation for children across Faulkner County and nutritious meals — takes creativity, tireless effort, strong community support and a mix of funding from Medicaid, DHS, United Way of Central Arkansas, private tuition and other public and private sources.
The organization also relies on its major fundraising event, Bingo and Barbecue, which is in its third year. The Hays invite readers to join them at the event, which will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, at St. Joseph’s Spiritan Center in Conway. Tickets can be purchased and donations can be made by visiting milestonesconway.org.
