Felton’s Developmental Playgroups are 90 minutes long and occur twice a week for a 12-week cycle on-site at one of Felton’s inclusive Early Care and Education (ECE) center locations.

Felton’s Developmental Playgroups are designed for children from birth to five years old who are experiencing moderate developmental delays but may not meet eligibility for formal intervention or are awaiting approval for Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC) services.

Our goal is to bridge the gap and support children’s growth and development during these crucial early years. We achieve this through comprehensive screenings and individualized goals.

Developmental Screening: Children undergo developmental screenings at entry using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), to monitor progress and address developmental concerns.

Held twice a week, these inclusive, play-based sessions are facilitated by two Early Interventionists, focusing on areas of early childhood development through engaging, meaningful activities.

Playgroup: CLEMENTINES

• Time and Date: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
• Location: Sojourner Truth Center, 1 Cashmere Street, San Francisco
• Ages: Under 18 months at the start of the group

Playgroup: APPLES

• Time and Date: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
• Location: Family Developmental Center, 2730 Bryant Street, San Francisco
• Ages: 18 months – 5 years at the start of the group

Playgroup: BANANAS

• Time and Date: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
• Location: Family Developmental Center, 2730 Bryant Street, San Francisco
• Ages: 18 months – 5 years at the start of the group

Register for a FREE developmental playgroup today!

Our playgroups provide intentional time where peer-peer and peer-adult social interactions are facilitated by two Early Interventionists in a 1-3 adult/child ratio. Our playgroups focus on developmentally appropriate, play-based activities that target all areas of early childhood development.

Desired Outputs and Outcomes

• Participating children will receive developmental screenings and have their development monitored and supported by an Early Interventionist, who will intentionally design activities that will enrich each child’s learning → Children will learn, grow, and progress in their development.
• Parents will learn more about their child’s development and ways to support their growth through responsive interactions and play → Parents will use responsive interactions and play with their children more.
• Parents will receive support from other parents and learn through others’ lived experiences → Parents feel more supported.
• Each family will receive care coordination and case management services to ensure resource and navigation → Families will have access to the resources they need.

We use The Creative Curriculum, which is also implemented in our general ECE programs. This curriculum emphasizes the importance of routines (hellos and goodbyes, handwashing, mealtimes, etc.) as critical learning moments, aligning with our Activity-Based Intervention approach. Embedded instruction within play-based activities allows us to meet the individual developmental goals of each child.

• Goals: Each child will have three developmental goals created with their ASQ (Ages and Stages Questionnaire) results, the family, and in tandem with existing intervention plans (e.g., IFSP goals or IEP goals). These goals will be naturally embedded within routines in the playgroups
• Curriculum: Weekly songs and activities will be centered around a book. Access to materials will be sent out in a weekly announcement using the Remind app
• Family Communication: Families will have communication with the Early Interventionists in person before and after each playgroup, and through the Remind and Sparkler apps. In addition, photos and artwork may be shared
• Group Circle Time: Caregivers and children will participate in a welcome and closing circle time to create community, strengthen child-caregiver relationships, and provide intentional modeling opportunities on how to individually engage each child in song and reading activities.

Our Care Coordination and Individualized Services ensure families receive comprehensive support while navigating early intervention services.

We offer:

• Care Coordination: Personalized plans are created with families to address their child’s developmental needs. We provide access to resources such as therapy, education, and community services, collaborating with the Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC) to develop actionable goals.
• Case Management: Ongoing guidance helps families understand the early intervention system. We assist with paperwork, service coordination, and accessing community resources to support their child’s development.
• Linkage Services: Connecting families to partners such as Support for Families of Children with Disabilities, facilitating referrals, and providing ongoing support to ensure they can access the necessary services. We also provide linkage to other necessary services that benefit families such as food, housing assistance as well as, if needed, support with mental health and crisis and emergency support.
• Service Navigation: We help families understand and access services approved by GGRC, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), or other early childhood education (ECE) centers.
• Family Advocacy: Empowering families to advocate for their child’s needs during the Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP) process is central to our approach. We equip families with the knowledge to navigate systems confidently.

Parents Connect offers parents a space to connect with others facing similar challenges. Facilitated by Parent Fellows along with Felton staff, these sessions feature rotating guest specialists or community partners.

Parents Connect aims to:

• Build a supportive, parent-led community
• Provide expert consultation on accessing services and navigating systems

Topics explored in Parents Connect include:

• Parent/Peer-to-Peer Support Groups: Spanish and English support groups, groups for parents of children with special needs or those focusing on social-emotional development
• Parent/Child Interactive Groups: Infant massage, expressive arts for young children, and play-based learning groups
• Curriculum-Based Parenting workshops: Classes like Attachment Vitamins, which focus on early childhood attachment
• Early Literacy Activities: Social-emotional development, understanding IFSP/IEP, supporting children with special needs, Autism spectrum support, and online modules from “Help is in Your Hands”

Home Connections extends the learning from Parents Connect throughout the week, providing families with a variety of resources and activities. Each week, families may receive:

• Read-Aloud Links: Access to weekly read-aloud materials in both English and Spanish featuring the books read during playgroups.
• Activity Guides: Activities associated with the read-aloud books, using readily available home materials.
• Song Lyrics Sheets: Lyrics to songs sung during circle times to encourage at-home singing and interaction.
• ASQ Activity Sheets: Parents receive these materials during screenings, offering further guidance for supporting their child’s development.
• Personalized Strategies: Early Interventionists provide tailored strategies for home activities after each playgroup session.
• Kimochis Activities: Social-emotional learning tools may be introduced by Social Emotional Learning Specialists.
• “Help is in Your Hands” Modules: Evidence-based early intervention resources from the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), especially for children with Autism.
• Hanen Approach: Therapists guide parents in supporting language development.

Home Connections extends learning from both the developmental playgroups and Parents Connect into the home environment.