Laradon, a non-profit service provider of education and support to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), welcomes a new pre-school program on its campus led by its newest partner, Sewall Child Development Center. Sewall has developed a high quality, inclusive preschool program using up to 4 classrooms on the Laradon campus, serving up to a maximum of 60 children of all abilities, ages 3 to 5 years, and their families. In the start-up year beginning in the fall of 2019, Sewall will start with half and full day services across 2 classrooms (approximately 24 – 32 children), building up to an enrollment of and capacity for 4 classrooms (60 children) in August 2020.
What makes this pre-school program special is its inclusivity, providing early childhood education for children both with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. This collaboration also closes the gap in Laradon’s youth programming between early intervention (ages 0-3) and The Laradon School (ages 5-21). Laradon’s site is the ninth satellite of Sewall, committed to making an inclusive preschool available in diverse Denver neighborhoods.
The classes provided by Sewall are play-based and Reggio Emilia inspired – meaning that children have more control over their environments and the way they learn in the classroom. This curricular approach promotes child-directed play as children learn to interact with one another, build their social-emotional skills, and learn across all developmental areas, much like many of Laradon’s adult programs.
“We are excited to welcome an organization like Sewall onto Laradon’s campus,” said Doug McNeill, CEO of Laradon, “The goal of our programming is to support children and adults in living life to their full potential and that’s exactly what this pre-school will do.”
Mile High United Way, who recently announced a new early childhood education initiative called United for Families, is investing $50,000 in this strategic partnership.
“Mile High United Way is proud to invest in an innovative preschool program that is inclusive of all children in our community, regardless of zip code or ability. Access to high-quality early childhood education ensures kids enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive,” said Christine Benero, President and CEO, Mile High United Way.
This program is particularly meaningful to the surrounding communities as the Globeville, Elyria – Swansea neighborhoods do not have access to many early childhood services and have even been referred to as a “child-care desert.”
“High quality, inclusive pre-school that involves family partnership will be the key to improved outcomes for so many in this neighborhood,” said Heidi Heissenbuttel, CEO of Sewall.
The new pre-school program is now open and currently enrolling.
See the full article online at YourHub here.
About Laradon
Founded in 1948 by the parents of two sons with developmental disabilities, Laradon was the very first charitable organization in the Rocky Mountain region to offer support, education, and training to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is now the largest and most diverse service provider of its kind in Colorado, serving nearly 700 children and adults with developmental disabilities each year. Learn more at www.laradon.org.