A Dad Hired Kids With Down Syndrome After Realizing How Tough It Was for Them to Find Jobs

In a world where dreams are limited only by imagination, one extraordinary dad shattered all boundaries, proving that love knows no bounds. Meet Joel, a compassionate father who embarked on a journey to empower his two incredible children, Josh and Kate, who happen to have Down syndrome. Against all odds, Joel bought an ice cream van for them to spread warmth and delight.

How it started

Joel Wegener, a retired science teacher, lives in Ohio with his wife and 10 children, and in April 2021 he decided to buy an ice cream truck to employ two of his kids Mary Kate, 21, and Josh, 18, who were both born with Down syndrome. He wanted to ensure his two children’s job security after realizing it will be hard for them to get a job offer.

And he has taken the role head-on, saying, “We were not afraid of having special needs children or the challenges that came with it.”

Their business is very popular.

Both Mary Kate and Josh now work serving ice cream from the van, which they named Special Neat Treats, and it has become a huge local hit in their town. Joel was moved by the positive response from his community: “When we bought the ice cream truck in January I never expected for this to happen... We hope that we can inspire other families with special needs kids to find new and inventive ways to support their children.”

And Dad Joel can’t be prouder of his kids, explaining how starting their new job has hugely helped Mary and Josh, “The reason the ice cream truck is so perfect is that it has allowed them both to develop their interactive and social skills in a comfortable environment. When they’re at work they practice things like smiling and asking questions — things that before they really struggled with.”

Josh and Mary love working with their Dad.

Speaking in an interview, Josh and Mary are very grateful for their father: “Our dad is the best dad ever, and we love to sell ice cream with him. We have a really fun summer, and we hope we have good luck selling ice cream in the future.”

Dad Joel now wants to inspire other parents of kids with special needs.

And Joel hopes to inspire other parents of special needs kids to do the same, inspiring them to take the leap. He hopes to grow his business to help other kids with special needs. He explained, “Almost every time I go out, I find a family with special needs or with some connection. It’s just been an unbelievable journey... No matter what your abilities are, there’s something that you can do, and you can spread joy and interact with other people.”

There are so many incredible dads out there in the world who don’t always get the recognition they deserve. Take Jerry Windle for instance, the single gay dad whose huge heart helped to create an Olympic champion.