Support Play With Me

What is Play With Me?

Play With Me is a free bilingual 10-12 week playful-learning program for families with children ages 0-3. In this program, bilingual developmental specialists and UTD student interns foster a playful and supportive environment that promotes optimal child development and strong parent-child relationships. The program educates parents and caregivers about topics such as child temperament, nutrition, self-regulation and more.

The Center for Children and Families (CCF) at UT Dallas operates Play With Me at four community-based locations, with the support of bilingual developmental specialists and UTD students studying child learning and development, psychology and speech language and hearing sciences. CCF’s strategic plan for the next five years includes doubling the number of sites where we offer Play With Me and training more than 200 students per year in all aspects of CCF’s operations. Our five-year plan includes expansion into the African American and Mandarin-speaking communities, as well as integrating clinically specific interventions, such as services for children with autism and music therapies.

Why is it Important?

• Free! Which means everyone and anyone can join.
• Access to free developmental screenings.
• Parents are provided with curated resources for their specific needs.
• Helps parents build a supportive community and relieve parenting stress.
• Children get a chance to grow and develop new experiences.
• Supports disadvantaged communities such as low income-families in the DFW area.

Our Goals

• Our $4,000 goal will provide:
  1. Updated developmentally appropriate toys and books at all program locations.
  2. Gifts for families to thank them for their participation (self-care kits, toys for children, parenting books).
• $7,000 will support:
  1. Expansion efforts to serve new populations (local travel reimbursement, funding for research, materials for new program sites).
  2. Paid internships in Play With Me for future developmental specialists

 How can you help?

• With a gift of...
  1.  $5 – Supplies for program activities.
  2.  $25 – One gift set for parents.
  3.  $50 – Two sets of developmentally-appropriate toys.
  4.  $100 – Two imaginative play sets.
• With....
  1. $200 – Materials for program sites including shelving, storage and mats.
  2. $400 – New speakers for all program sites.
  3. $500 – Entertainment for our annual family celebration in June.
  4. $1,000 – Food for all Play With Me program families during data collection

You can learn more about Play with Me and the Center for Children and Families on our website and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.