On Aug. 13, children from all around the Greater Seattle Area walked across the stage to celebrate graduation from the Kindering Center in Bellevue, including Miley Kirk from Bothell.

The Kindering provides children of diverse abilities and disabilities, and their families, the finest in education, therapy and nurturing to ensure these students have the hope, courage and skills to soar into the future.

This year Kindering celebrated the largest graduating class to date with more than 725 three-year-old graduates, thanks, in large part, to the center’s ability to serve more children and their families in the newly expanded second campus in Bothell.

When parents first arrive at Kindering, they often feel like they are the only people in the world experiencing the trials of raising a child with special needs. And indeed, they may have a child who has a syndrome so rare that it doesn’t even have a name.

However, these families quickly discover that Kindering is a place that brings families hope, joy and a sense of community. Parents discover that Kindering teachers and therapists are committed to helping each child reach his or her greatest potential and that Kindering is a place that supports the whole family.

Lindsey Yocum, of Redmond, spoke about how her son’s physical therapists and staff helped support the whole family.

“Two years ago, I entered the doors of Kindering. Little did I know that during the next two and a half years, my family’s experience with this organization would help prepare me for the road ahead,” Lindsey Yocum, a Kindering parent from Redmond. “Through the support of the therapists, educators, and staff, I slowly recognized that I’m not alone, that my family is not alone, on this journey.”

For The Kindering, parents like Yocum have become their biggest advocates. The center not only helped Yocum’s son Porter grow but they also helped her older son, Colton, bond with his younger brother.

“They helped me become a better mother to both my children and showed me the importance of taking time for myself and my husband,” Yocum said. “They showed me I wasn’t alone”.

Since opening doors to the second campus in 2014, Kindering has experienced a 25% increase in early intervention enrollment and now proudly serves East King County through Renton and South Snohomish County.

For more information about the Kindering and the services are offered, please visit their website at www.kindering.org or via phone at 425-747-4004.