C.I.T.Y. NEWS

Happy New Year! C.I.T.Y. of Support is starting the new year with a full calendar! Definitely read below to hear about our upcoming playgroups, parent meet-ups, education series, and special events. If registration is required for the event, the link is provided right here in the newsletter, making it easy to plan ahead. And, not only are we busy planning events, but we are starting to make some progress towards our C.I.T.Y. initiatives.

As always, we welcome your participation. This organization is run entirely by volunteers, and we simply cannot provide all that we do without the support of our community members. Many of the volunteer opportunities are short, simple tasks, so please take a look at our sign-up genius link and think about how you might be able to contribute! Looking forward to a fantastic year!

The Northwest Suburbs and the Arlington Heights Library continue to serve as a sort of pilot program to eventually expanding our playgroup and meet-up efforts in other regions of Chicago. In the Northwest Suburbs, we are planning to streamline our free programming in the new year, using the heading "Our Time" to refer to all of our weekend/weekday, parent, and child events. Therefore, we will continue to be offering "Our Time: Developmental Playgroups" on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Arlington Heights Library from 10:00-11:00. The next playgroup is scheduled for:

Tuesday, January 8th. No registration is necessary.

Additionally, with the exception of the dynamic monthly coffee meet-up in the South Suburbs, the other regional monthly coffee groups are going to be on hold due to limited turn-out. In the Northwest Suburbs, we are going to try something new. At the Arlington Heights Library, on the 4th Sunday of each month from 11:15-12:15, we will be hosting "Our Time: Caregivers, Coffee, and Play." All therapists and family members are welcome to this hour of adult conversation and support, coffee, and play for little ones. Come by yourself for some "me time," or feel free to bring your child for some refreshments and play. Our first meet-up will be on:

Sunday, January 27th. No registration is necessary.

Hopefully by accommodating parents AND their children on weekdays AND weekends, we will be able to facilitate greater participation. Of course, if this model of parent and child meet-ups is successful, it is the goal to expand our reach to the other regions as well. Thank you again to all of our regional contacts who serve as a liaison for C.I.T.Y. of Support throughout Chicago. Unsure of who your contact is? Look under "C.I.T.Y. of Community" on our webpage.

On a quarterly basis, C.I.T.Y. of Support sponsors "Great Therapy Playdates" at therapy clinics across the various regions of Chicago. These coordinated, open-house style playdates are held at the same day and time among different locations, which rotate based on availability and interest. Children in therapy and their siblings can play in the fun, inclusive space and parents can mingle, all while exploring valuable clinical resources in the community.

For our next Great Therapy Playdate on Sunday, January 13th from 10:00-11:00 am, we have clinics in two regions who have offered to host:

• Northwest Suburbs: AHSS Autism Center - 3385 N. Arlington Heights Rd. Suite K, Arlington Heights, IL 60004
• North Suburbs: Pediatric Interactions - 649 Barron Blvd (Route 83), Grayslake, IL 60030

Registration is required as space is limited. Use our eventbrite link to reserve your spot today!

**If you or a facility you know might be interested in hosting a Great Therapy Playdate in the future, please contact us at: hello@cityofsupport.org.

Opportunities are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.**

This is the perfect excuse to get out of the house this winter for some engaging (indoor) fun! Register for specific entry times (to avoid over-crowding) and join us in the festive We Rock The Spectrum sensory gym, following the valentine's hearts around to each of our 15+ creative obstacle course stations. At each station, the children will participate in different interactive games including zip lines, rock walls, swings, sensory play, and more. They will also receive a valentine and information/handouts from the different local clinics, offices, and businesses sponsoring each station.

At this family-friendly Valentine's Event, parents will learn of resources in the community, meet other families, and enjoy a fun, indoor activity with their children. And after completing the obstacle course, families are welcome to complete a project at our craft table, enjoy some snacks from our sweet table, and participate in our raffle filled with child-friendly prizes!

Come share the love with us this Valentine's Day!

Registration is required for this event. Use our eventbrite link to reserve your spot today!

**This event is made possible in part by the generous sponsorship of In2Great! Pediatric Therapy Clinic in Arlington Heights and Autism Home Support Services. Thank you!

There are also many other opportunities for local businesses, clinics, and offices to participate in this interactive event. If you/someone you know would like to be included in this resource-sharing/community-building event, please contact us at: hello@cityofsupport.org. Opportunities are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.**

C.I.T.Y. of Support is committed to fostering the sharing of knowledge from a variety of perspectives. Our Roundtable Series provides professionals and parents an opportunity to share their experiences in an informative, but casual/friendly environment (snacks provided too). Questions, discussions, and one-on-one conversations will be encouraged towards the end of this adults-only event.

Based on feedback from our members, our first of four topics in our 2019 series is called "The Ins and Outs of IEPs (Individualized Education Plans)." Come to hear what our knowledgeable panel of parents, school staff, educational advocates, and the medical community can share from their own personal experiences, and find support resources within our community. This event is applicable for both parents and professionals, and Early Intervention continuing education credits are currently pending approval.

Registration is required through our eventbrite link, although this event is FREE for parents. We hope to record and upload our conversation to YouTube as well, so that even if you are unable to make it to the meeting in-person, you can still participate virtually.

Reserve your spot today!

We are beginning to put together our welcome gifts for newborns being discharged from the hospital with therapy recommendations. We hope to provide these new families with immediate acceptance into a community who may best understand their needs. Included in our gift will be information about C.I.T.Y. of Support, a small keychain to keep important business cards handy, a new book to share with their child, helpful new parent coupons, and personal messages of support. (This is where you can help!)

We are looking for handwritten letters from parents who wish to share their experiences of having a child who receives/received therapy services. Looking back, what were your initial reactions? What did you expect? What has your journey been like? What advice can you share? We do not expect you to share your personal information, and we have complete respect for your privacy. We do hope, however, that this personal, handwritten letter will be a source of encouragement, hope, and motivation for the new parents in our community. To contribute your story, please either scan and email letters to: hello@cityofsupport.org or mail them to our office address at:

800 E. Northwest Highway, Suite #109 in Mount Prospect, IL 60056.

For more information regarding our 3 initiatives for 2019, please refer to our website under the tab "C.I.T.Y. of Outreach."

Thanks to the suggestion/request of some of our group members, our unique card kits are now available for sale through our website. We are currently featuring Valentine's Day cards to create and send to your family, friends, teachers, and therapists.

The work and planning has been done for you, and all that's left is the fun! You'll be sent all the materials and instructions on how to construct a Pinterest-worthy card with your child.
(All you need is scissors and glue.) Not only do these kits make beautiful, thoughtful, handmade gifts, they are an activity you can do together that also encourages developmental skills such as fine motor control, following directions, sequencing steps, identifying colors/shapes, recognizing body parts, and social communication.

And the bonus? By purchasing these card kits, you are also making a donation to our C.I.T.Y. of Support, as 100% of the proceeds go directly back to our organization. The link for ordering is on our website under the "D.I.Y. in the C.I.T.Y." tab. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and use the PayPal button. And, due to the success of this endeavor, we hope to expand our kits to include "birthday" and "thank you" options soon!

Thank you for being an important part of our C.I.T.Y. of Support community.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns, thoughts, or ideas.

We value your input and participation, and we want to make sure this community is

meaningful and relevant for you and all of our members.

Our mission is to create a dynamic community, both online and in person, that supports all families navigating the needs of their child in therapy.

Email: hello@cityofsupport.org
Website: www.cityofsupport.org
Location: 800 E. Northwest Highway, Suite #109, Mount Prospect, IL 60056
Phone: (224) 409-7150
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityofsupport/
Twitter: @cityofsupport