Easter Seals Disability Services

Children’s Hospital Center: An Easter Seals Child Development Center

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In 2003, Easter Seals Central California joined forces with Children’s Hospital and opened Children’s Hospital Center: An Easter Seals Child Development Center. The Center offers a developmentally based program for children of differing abilities from age eight weeks to six years of age.

The need for affordable, quality childcare is growing. More than 19 million children under the age of six years are in some form of childcare and more than 65 percent of mothers with children in this age range are in the U.S. labor force. According to government statistics, reports show shortages in child care for infants, ill children and children with disabilities.

Our Children’s Center serves over 120 children in the Fresno and Madera area. The Center was established to provide an exemplary early care and education program for children. Easter Seals recognizes that children develop at different rates so we plan individualized programs for each child. This makes it easy for young children who have special physical or learning needs to become fully participating members of the group.

Easter Seals places children of all physical, emotional and academic abilities in the same learning environment — is gaining support. Both caregivers and parents are learning that inclusive settings benefit all children, regardless of their ability.

Childcare experts observe that when children are young enough, it is difficult to distinguish between a "typically developing" child and one with either a learning or physical disability. Preschool age children of all abilities tend to enjoy the same activities and relate to one another in a similar fashion.

Easter Seals' experience shows that children with disabilities significantly benefit from receiving appropriate care along side their non-disabled peers. Typically developing children serve as role models from whom children with disabilities learn age-appropriate communication and social behaviors. The benefit to children without disabilities is that they learn to understand and accept differences. What’s more, the experience replicates what children will find later in life.

Since opening, the Child Development Center has enrolled and fully included children with a wide variety of special needs, including children with vision and hearing losses, autism spectrum disorder, mobility challenges, developmental disabilities, medical needs (e.g. tracheotomies and gastro-intestinal tubes) and behavior issues.

Easter Seals knows that children with disabilities develop best when educated along side their non-disabled peers. Nationally, Easter Seals has been providing the highest quality of inclusive childcare for the past 80 years. To date, Easter Seals manages 78 Child Development Centers across the U.S.

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If you would like a tour of the Children’s Hospital Center: An Easter Seals Child Development Center,
please contact Cindy Watt at 559-353-6789 or cwatt@childrenscentralcal.org.

If you would like to help support Easter Seals Child Development Center,
please click on the button below to make a donation.

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