A Message from Elena Sanchez, Executive Director

Dear Parents, Professionals and Community Members,

We are finalizing the details for our grand event of the year, our 27th Annual Information Fair and Festival! We are looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, April 28th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Cortez Park in West Covina. This is your opportunity to become familiarized with services that might be available to your family, check out our new carnival-style games, and to enjoy the FREE food and entertainment.  Enclosed is a flyer for your reference. The City of West Covina is co-sponsoring this event and we appreciate our continued partnership. Since this is an entirely free event for families in our community, all sponsorships and donations truly go a long way for our families served.

As many of you are aware, there is limited parking space at Cortez Park on the day of the fair.  With that in mind, additional parking is available at the Christ Lutheran Church lot on the side which is closest to the park, the West Covina Senior Citizen's Center, and the Equestrian Center across the street are available for parking as well. We kindly ask that everyone be patient and adhere to parking instructions provided by the West Covina Police Department Explorers, our volunteers and staff.  We want to ensure that everyone is safe and has an enjoyable experience.

When you attend the fair this year, you will receive a "Resource Table Passport."  After you visit at least 12 tables, you can exchange your passport for a free prize. Please be sure to stop by the San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center's booth and learn about social-emotional development, complete their survey and you will receive double points for a prize.  You can also vote for the best-decorated booth or informational booth by using your "Resource Table Passport."
 
We understand that parenting is not an easy feat.  Parents/caregivers with children or young adults who have delays or disabilities may need extra support from our community.  Our Information Fair & Festival is dedicated to all our awesome families served.  Join us in strengthening family relationships as we identify concrete support in times of need. 

We continue to offer new and essential workshops.  One of these is Transition to Adulthood. Participants are encouraged to bring their child/young adult to the workshop.  Also, we received many requests to host a Conservatorship Workshop and will be offering this workshop on June 29th and again in the Fall.  We will also provide the Heartsaver, CPR/First Aid class, so be sure to see the enclosed Calendar of Events for details and how to register.
 
We are pleased to welcome Ange Garza, as our new facilitator for our Young Adult Social Group. The social group meets every other month.  We are excited to see this group blossom further as we implement new ideas. Please note that TASK is now offering 1:1 IEP clinics every other month. Be sure to stop by Parents’ Place or call us for more information about these and all of our events.

In closing, please take a moment to remember that, “YOU are the most important person in your child’s life! The relationship between you and your child is a vital focus in early intervention. Early Start services are designed to empower YOU so that you can better address your child’s unique needs.” Your service providers share ideas and support so that you can help your child learn the skills that YOU think are essential for your child’s growth!” (Excerpt from TAKE A MINUTE CAMPAIGN).
For more information on social and emotional development, watch this video at
http://earlystartneighborhood.ning.com/ssip-resources/TaMvideo