Partners in Child Development

10/09/2026

💙 October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a time to celebrate individuals with Down syndrome, promote inclusion, and recognize the importance of support tailored to each child's unique needs.

Meet Graham! Born prematurely at just 32 weeks, Graham began his journey with Partners in Child Development's Early Intervention Services shortly after coming home from the NICU.

Over the next three years, our team worked alongside Graham and his family, providing support with movement, feeding, communication, and sleep. Just as importantly, they helped his parents find strategies that fit naturally into everyday family life.

Today, Graham is keeping up with his two older brothers, finding new ways to communicate, and continuing to grow!

💙 Read Graham's story and learn how Early Intervention made a difference for his entire family: https://ei.mypcd.org/project/grahams-story-navigating-down-syndrome-with-the-support-of-ei/

10/08/2026

👁️ Today is World Sight Day, a reminder that every child experiences the world differently, and every child deserves the opportunity to learn, explore, and thrive.

At Partners in Child Development, our Early Intervention Services and Anderson School support children with a range of developmental needs, including visual impairments such as Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), a condition that affects how the brain processes visual information.

Through individualized services and partnerships with organizations like Perkins School for the Blind, we help children build skills, confidence, and independence.

One example is John's story, which highlights how our Early Intervention team and Perkins worked together to support a young child with rare visual conditions and help his family navigate developmental milestones.

💙 Read John's inspiring story: https://ei.mypcd.org/project/johns-rare-diagnosis-early-intervention-perkins-school-for-the-blind-partner-to-provide-support-and-services/

10/05/2026

What a day! 💙

Thank you to every runner, walker, family, sponsor, volunteer, staff member and friend who joined us for the 33rd Trot for Tots.

Your energy, generosity and support made the day special and helped advance Partners in Child Development’s mission to nurture the growth and development of every child to maximize their potential.

We are so grateful to everyone who showed up for our children, families and community. Thank you for Trotting with us!

10/04/2026

🏃‍♀️👟 It’s Trot for Tots Race Day!

We’re excited to welcome runners, walkers, families, and friends to the 33rd Annual Trot for Tots! Whether you’re racing the 5K, enjoying the 1-mile family walk, or cheering from the sidelines, thank you for coming together to support the children and families served by Partners in Child Development. 💙

⏰ Race Day Schedule:
• Registration & Packet Pick-Up: 8:30–9:30 a.m.
• 5K Race Start: 10:00 a.m.
• 1-Mile Family Walk Start: 10:15 a.m.

And don’t head home after you cross the finish line! Stick around for our post-event celebration featuring food, music, and family activities. 🎶

We can’t wait to see you there. Let’s make it a great day for a great cause!

10/03/2026

A big thank you to Neighborhood Villages for helping support local families! 💙

Last week, our Early Intervention team picked up 50 boxes of diapers, with sizes ranging from newborn through toddler size 8, to help meet the everyday needs of families we serve.

We’re grateful for community partners who help make resources like these more accessible to children and families.

10/02/2026

Trot for Tots weekend is here!

We would like to express our gratitude to all of our sponsors and race participants. Your participation directly supports Early Intervention Services, Anderson School, and Woodbridge School, empowering more than 2,000 local children and families.

Here is our race day schedule:
• Registration & Packet Pick-Up: 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
• 5K Race Start: 10:00 a.m.
• 1 Mile Family Walk Start: 10:15 a.m.

✨ Don’t miss our raffle featuring an autographed 2025 season, signed Celtics basketball!

Be sure to stick around for the post-event celebration with food, music, and family activities!

Location:
Partners in Child Development
32 Osgood Street, Andover, MA

09/30/2026

Sometimes the messiest moments are where some of the best learning happens.

Messy play gives children opportunities to explore with their senses while building fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, creativity and confidence.

At Woodbridge School, we embrace the splashes, squishes and discoveries that come with hands-on learning. Read more: https://mypcd.org/let-them-get-messy/

Messy play is so much more than fun. When children have the freedom to mix, pour, build, create, and explore, they are developing confidence, creativity, problem-solving skills, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. The mess may wash away, but the wonder, joy, and memories they create...

09/28/2026

💜 A place for siblings to connect, share, and have fun.

Anderson School’s Sibshops give children ages 8–12 who have a sibling with special needs or a complex medical diagnosis an opportunity to meet other kids who understand their experiences.

Through recreational and reflective activities, participants can make connections, learn more about themselves and their siblings, share experiences, and, most importantly, have fun together.

Sibshops are free and open to siblings of Anderson School students as well as children from the local community. Anderson School, Andover, MA.

Learn more and register for an upcoming Sibshop:
https://anderson.mypcd.org/sibshops/

09/26/2026

🌙 Sleep Tip: Give vacation sleep a trial run.

Travel often means a new sleep space for little ones. If your toddler will be sleeping in a pack-and-play or other portable setup, try it at home for a night or two before your trip. A little familiarity can make bedtime away from home feel easier.

Find more helpful sleep strategies for families in our blog:
https://mypcd.org/helping-families-by-helping-children-sleep/

09/26/2026

So much fun with friends, exploring, learning, and playing together! ❤️

Our Toddler Playgroups offer lots of opportunities to learn through play. One day that might mean lying on the ground with a teacher and looking for shapes in the clouds. Another might mean playing hide-and-seek on the climber or working hard to make it up the climbing wall and rope climber.

Every experience helps toddlers build confidence, strengthen motor skills, practice social interactions, and discover new ways to learn about the world around them.

⭐ Our Toddler Playgroups are open to all toddlers ages 2 to 3.
Learn more: https://ei.mypcd.org/toddler-playgroups/