First 5 Sacramento Developmental Playgroups for Children with Exceptional Needs

Description

Overview: First 5 Sacramento centered parent and caregiver voices in the development of our 2024-27 Strategic and Implementation Plans. Through surveys and focus groups, parents told us that developmental playgroups specifically designed for children with exceptional needs and their parents / caregivers was a top desire. They also requested that playgroup leaders have expertise in working with young children with exceptional needs An environmental scan of programs available in Sacramento County showed that no such in-person opportunities currently exist. Parents of children with exceptional needs told us that they had often experienced reaching out to a program to ascertain if the needs of their children could be accommodated and hearing that they were welcome.  However, upon arrival, they would discover that the leader had no expertise in working with children like theirs. The playgroup leaders were unable to integrate these children into the activities or to help typically developing children and their families welcome and interact with them. Parents of children with exceptional needs told us they would like to have an opportunity to experience group interactions with their children designed specifically for them. They also told us they would like the opportunity to connect with other families raising children with excep