Inspiring Conversations with Jane Moore of Nourish and Thrive Therapy, PC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Moore.

Jane, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
People have told me my whole life that my face lights up when I’m near children. I’ve always been drawn to them and have had a heart to help children thrive in whatever they’re doing. Occupational therapy lets me help them in very specific ways, and for me that means helping with feeding challenges. Being an OT isn’t just a career. It truly is my purpose in life.

After earning my B.S. in Occupational Therapy from SUNY Buffalo, I began working in pediatrics and quickly found my calling in feeding, swallowing, and oral motor development. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with many medically fragile infants and children and their families. Mealtimes should be a time of connection, and when a child struggles to eat, the whole family feels it. Helping families find joy at the table again inspired me to keep learning. I became board-certified in swallowing and feeding (SWC), a Certified Lactation Counselor, a Certified Kinesiology Tape Practitioner, and a certified VitalStim provider.

For almost nine years, I was Clinical Director at a pediatric therapy center in Orange County. I loved mentoring therapists and celebrating each family’s progress. Over time, I saw that many children, especially the youngest and most medically complex, do best when therapy comes to them, in their homes and communities, where daily life actually happens.

That led me to open Nourish & Thrive Therapy in 2024. We’re a home and community-based pediatric OT practice specializing in feeding, swallowing, sensory processing, and oral motor development. We walk alongside each family and work closely with their child’s medical team, so parents feel supported, heard, and never alone in the process.

Today, our team has grown to seven occupational therapists and a COTA, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. Mentoring is close to my heart, so I created a Feeding Therapy Mentorship Program to grow the next generation of feeding therapists. I also lead trainings for preschool teachers on sensory processing and behavior.

The most rewarding part of this work is the positive impact we have on families. A child takes their first bite of a new food, a parent finally feels confident at mealtime, or a family gets to enjoy dinner together without stress. Those moments mean everything to me. I feel incredibly grateful that I get to do this work every day.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Leaving a role I’d held for almost nine years to start my own practice was one of the biggest leaps of faith I’ve ever taken. I knew how to be a therapist and a clinical director, but becoming a business owner was a whole new world. I had to learn billing, insurance, contracts, compliance, and HR, often all in the same week.

Building a home- and community-based practice brings its own challenges. We don’t have a clinic where everyone gathers, so our therapists travel from family to family and often work on their own. I’ve had to be intentional about creating connection, support, and a real sense of team, even when we’re rarely in the same room.

Like many small business owners, I’ve had moments of wearing every hat at once and wondering if I was doing enough. Hiring a practice coordinator to handle scheduling and admin support has been such a blessing and has freed me to focus more on our families and our team. Our therapists came together through word of mouth and a little serendipity, and I feel so grateful for each of them. Every therapist on our team brings a passion and commitment that inspires me to keep growing and to be an even better owner for them.

What has carried me through the hard days is our families and our team. Every time a child makes progress or a parent tells me they finally feel hopeful, I’m reminded why I started. Each challenge has made me a stronger leader and made our practice better for the families we serve.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nourish and Thrive Therapy, PC?
At Nourish & Thrive Therapy, we provide pediatric occupational therapy for infants, toddlers, and children, with a special focus on feeding, swallowing, oral motor development, and sensory processing. We specialize in feeding, but we work with children with a wide range of needs and diagnoses, including premature infants, children who are fed through a G-tube, and children with cleft lip and palate, cardiac conditions, Down syndrome, autism, sensory processing differences, and developmental delays. We support babies who struggle with bottle or breastfeeding, toddlers who are having a hard time moving to solid foods, children with very limited diets, and medically complex children with more involved feeding needs.

What makes us stand out is our training and our in-home approach. Many of our therapists have extensive advanced training in feeding and swallowing, and several hold board certification in swallowing and feeding. Others are currently being trained and mentored as they grow their skills. This allows us to confidently support families through even the most complex feeding journeys. We also bring therapy to families, seeing children in their homes and communities, where they eat, play, and live every day. Therapy happens at their own table, with their own foods and routines, when their child is comfortable and at ease. That makes a real difference in how quickly progress carries into everyday life.

At the heart of everything we do is building parents’ confidence. Feeding challenges can feel overwhelming and isolating. Many parents come to us exhausted and worried, and sometimes they feel like they’ve tried everything. We walk alongside them, teach them what we’re doing and why, and celebrate every small win together. Our goal is for parents to leave each session feeling more capable and hopeful, because they are the most important people in their child’s life.

Because we work in homes, we get to know each family in a very personal way. We meet siblings, learn family routines, and become part of their story. The bond we build with every family is something I treasure, and it’s one of the things I’m most proud of.

Some of my proudest moments have been watching children who once depended on feeding tubes have their G-tubes removed and enjoy eating by mouth. We’ve had the joy of celebrating this milestone with a number of families, and it never gets old. I also love getting updates from past families, seeing photos of children who are now thriving and hearing how happy and confident their parents feel. Those updates remind me what an honor it is to be part of each child’s journey.

We proudly serve families throughout Orange County and work with Regional Center of Orange County, TRICARE West, and private-pay families.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
First, I believe the need for feeding therapy will only continue to grow. In my years as an OT, I’ve seen feeding challenges become more and more common. Advances in medicine mean more premature and medically complex babies are surviving and thriving, and many of them need extra support learning to eat. Parents are also more aware of feeding milestones and are seeking help earlier. Because of this, I believe OTs with specialized training in feeding will be in very high demand. That’s a big reason I’m so passionate about mentoring therapists and growing the next generation of feeding specialists.

Many people are asking how AI will change their industry, but I don’t see it replacing what we do. Feeding therapy is hands-on, relational work that requires skilled, highly trained therapists. It’s reading a baby’s subtle cues, adjusting a child’s position, gently guiding oral motor skills, and helping an anxious parent feel calm and confident at mealtime. That takes trained hands, clinical judgment, and a human heart.

I also think the way therapy is delivered will keep evolving. Insurance reimbursement continues to change, and that puts real pressure on practices with clinic overhead. At the same time, families are looking for care that fits into their real lives. I believe therapy in a child’s natural environment, at home and in the community, will become more and more valued. When we work at a family’s own table with their own foods and routines, progress carries over into everyday life, and parents feel supported where they need it most.

At Nourish & Thrive, we’re set up to meet these needs. Our in-home model, our team’s advanced feeding training, and our commitment to mentoring position us to serve more families for years to come. I’m excited about the future and grateful to be part of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nourishandthrivetherapy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nourishandthrivetherapy/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janehmoore/
• Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/9Tr-e79pcN0CicIa_B4Cbw
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nourish.and.thriv91?_r=1&_t=ZT-9AB6GcgNkTd