Special Kids and Families

Non-Profit & Charitable Organizations · Tennessee, United States · 29 Employees

Led by a passion to provide their children with the benefits of what is widely known today as early intervention, a group of parents founded Special Kids & Families in 1986. These parents of babies with developmental disabilities realized that they were the best teachers their children would ever have. They wanted to be trained by professionals in techniques to use in their everyday lives--techniques that would help their children achieve the milestones of early childhood. When a $30,000 grant was secured from the state of Tennessee, Special Kids & Families, Inc. was born. Twenty-three years later, we remain true to our original purpose of providing a family-focused early intervention program serving children birth to age three. In the beginning, all of the children served had developmental delays, but our program has expanded to include children who are typically developing as well. (The founding parents were part of the group known today as the Down Syndrome Association of Memphis and the Mid-South). We began with three children enrolled, and we now serve approximately 140 annually. Our family-focused model is unique in the Mid-South and possibly in the U.S. For the first 20 years, our program was housed at Church of the Holy Communion, free of charge. Such a generous arrangement helped ensure our sustainability. In 2006, we outgrew the wonderful setting at Church of the Holy Communion and moved our program to Faith Christian Church at Mt. Moriah and Willow Road in East Memphis. In 2010, our administrative offices were also relocated to Faith Christian Church. We have served approximately 2,000 children since our inception. Our first graduates were among the initial children in the nation to receive early intervention services, the benefits of which are now well established.Read More

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