Playing by Our Own Rules

​Northwest Center Kids in 2016
By Laura Kneedler
Vice President, Northwest Center Kids
 
This time of year is our favorite – not only can we share our appreciation with our loyal audience, we get to fill you in on the exciting progress we made this past year!
​
We’re so grateful to be a part of all families involved with Northwest Center Kids, and through our Early Intervention and Early Learning programs we were able to serve nearly 600 children and families in 2016.

Our Chinook Early Learning location received a high-quality rating from State of Washington Early Achiever’s with specializations in teacher/child interactions. Complementing this is our Parent Program trainings, which include family classes such as Kindergarten Readiness, yoga and cooking - all at no additional cost to families.
​
In terms of expansion, our early intervention team began working with families in the Renton community, increasing the number of children served from 150 to 200 per month. Another success of 2016 came from the fruitful partnership with University of Washington (UW) in supporting premature infants and their families as they transition from the NICU to home-based services. Our connections with UW grew with the addition of the Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) program supporting children with Autism. To top it all off, CHERISH* - a program serving children within the foster care system - services saw a 45% expansion rate.

Beyond growth into new arenas, we forged new relationships and joined forces with Special Olympics Washington and the Seattle Public Library. Our Greenwood Early Learning division was also able to partner with Northwest Center Employment Services to offer internship opportunities to two students enrolled in the school-to-work program.

We have an incredibly talented group of passionate and dedicated teachers, therapists and support staff that provide excellent care and support to the children and families enrolled in our programs. On behalf of Northwest Center Kids, we want to thank each and every one of you who make all of these 
accomplishments possible.
 
Fun Facts & Stats:

• We serve families that speak over 30 languages
• Nearly 60% of families served fall under the King County Poverty guidelines
• Early Intervention therapists made over 500 home visits per month and traveled 6,000 miles
• The Greenwood and Chinook Early Learning programs served over 2,500 meals to students in 2016, with the leftover food sent to Aurora Commons
• Northwest Center Kids has served over 5,000 children since opening its doors in 1965
• We have a dedicated team of 87 teachers, therapists, and support staff, and the employee with the longest tunure has worked with Northwest Center for a total of 42 years!