Chesterfield playground built for children with disabilities, named after local child to be revitalized

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Chesterfield County playground designed to welcome children of all abilities and named after a local child is officially undergoing “revitalization” efforts.

According to county officials , A Playground for Katie and Friends — located at Huguenot Park — has been allocated $700,000 for its revitalization. These efforts officially began on Monday, Aug. 19, with the park expected to reopen in the fall.

This park was the creation of Jane Warrick, a local mother of two. One of her daughters, the eponymous Katie, was born with the left side of her brain underdeveloped. An accessible playground became Jane’s mission after, while getting Katie treatment at John Hopkins for seizures in 2000, Jane encountered many other children with disabilities.

“[Jane saw] that when Katie and other children were in traditional physical therapy, they often resisted the work it entailed,” the county said of Jane’s motivations for building an accessible playground. “In contrast, by experiencing movement outdoors on a playground, the children could be enticed to incorporate therapeutic movements because they enjoyed the fun playtime. When Katie was outside in a play environment, she was much more likely to move and engage, especially when there was motivation to swing or use the slide.”

Once Jane discovered traditional playgrounds were not accessible to Katie, Jane became determined to create something that would have a positive impact on children like her.

Jane then approached and partnered with Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation to make this park a reality. She provided $175,000 in funding — $125,000 of which she raised via a non-profit she formed and $50,000 from a grant — and the county provided the equipment, as well as $50,000 in additional funding.

Now, several years later, the county will be implementing several changes at the park that will bring it up to modern standards for inclusive play.

“We’ve learned a lot and the [playground manufacturing] industry has evolved in last 20 years,” said Parks and Recreation Director Neil Luther. “We have a strong philosophy to prioritize inclusive, imaginative, creative play as a theme and not to do vanilla playgrounds. We want to capitalize on the energy, enthusiasm, history of Katie’s playground and bring some new elements and experiences here.”

The county collected feedback on what people would like to see added to the park. According to the county , nearly 100% of respondents asked for swings, about 91% asked for a playhouse and about 86% asked for spring rockers, seesaws and/or bouncy equipment.

Additional requests included adding shade and a smooth ground surface for wheelchairs and walking devices. Respondents also asked that the park be fully enclosed with a gate to prevent kids from leaving the park and entering the nearby, busy parking lot.

Multiple tiles and tributes to Katie are present in the park. According to the county, they will be refurbished and replaced during revitalization efforts, ensuring that she remains an integral part of the playground.

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