Early Start Family Resource Center 

Special Kids Connect's Early Start Family Resource Center offers guidance to parents of children, ages birth to 3 years, who have, or suspect they have, developmental delays. With Monterey and Salinas locations, an experienced and caring Family Resource Specialist, and a resource library rich with educational materials, Special Kids Connect's Family Resource Center provides bilingual (English/Spanish) support to families and caregivers when they need it most. Whether a parent has a suspected delay or a known diagnosis, Special Kids Connect can connect families to the community resources they need most in this early stage of their children's lives.

STAR Toy Library

Therapy tools, adaptive equipment, puzzles, games, toys and more are all a part of STAR Toy Library's vast inventory.  Open five days a week, the library offers FREE memberships to local families who have children with a developmental delay/disability.  

To see what's in inventory, click here.

REACH Community Programs

Special Kids Connect’s REACH Programs make it possible for children with a wide range of disabilities to participate in activities that nurture their interests and talents in new and exciting ways. With annual offerings in a variety of sports, such as basketball and bowling, as well as offerings in the arts, REACH gives children the opportunity to participate at their own level and at their own pace while developing gross motor skills, enhancing cognitive abilities and socializing with peers and adults in nurturing, supportive environments.  

Equally important is the way REACH programs break down barriers between children who have special needs and their typically developing peers.  REACH gives children of all abilities the chance to interact, have fun, and learn that, regardless of anyone's unique and special needs, we are all more alike than different!  

Community Navigation 

Special Kids Connect receives funding from the California Department of Developmental Services to provide training, information, and 1:1 support to assist Monterey County families who have members with developmental delays and/or disabilities (ages 0 through end of life) with community service navigation, application assistance, coaching, advocacy training, and peer-to-peer support. 

Special Kids Connect seeks to provide parents, family members, and those with disabilities themselves with the information they need so they are empowered to effectively advocate for their own needs.  While Special Kids Connect cannot affect eligibility for regional center or other social services, it is our goal to provide clarity to the process for obtaining support. If you feel that Special Kids Connect has not provided appropriate support, please let us know.  Special Kid's Connect's grievance policy is available in both English and Spanish.  

Special Kids Connect's Community Navigator Program is available to families in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Santa Clara Counties.  CLICK HERE for a flyer (English & Spanish) to learn more about Special Kids Connect's Community Navigator Program.  

Family Connections

Raising a child with a special need  can be isolating for every member of the family - parents, grandparents and siblings.  You are not alone!  Special Kids Connect offers family connections in a number of ways. 

First, Special Kids Connect can offer parent-to-parent support for parents who are seeking guidance from someone who has traveled the road they are on and is willing to be a friend and mentor. 

Second, Special Kids Connect actively supports and is a participant in a number of parent support groups in Monterey, Salinas, Soledad and Greenfield. 

Third, Special Kids Connect's targeted workshops, REACH programs, Facebook page and more provide opportunities for organic connections to develop - either in person or through social media. 

Information, Education & Empowerment

Through its website, parent e-newsletters, Facebook postings and various workshops, Special Kids Connect's goal is to empower families with knowledge and tools they can use to become effective caregivers, supporters and advocates for their own children.  

Working together, we are
Helping Special Kids Reach for the Stars!