Kindering

Kindering Kindering provides early support services to infants and children who have special needs and their families.

Kindering embraces children of diverse abilities and their families by providing the finest education and therapies to nurture hope, courage, and the skills to soar. Founded in 1962 by five young Eastside mothers of children with special needs, Kindering is the largest early support center in Washington State, one of the three largest centers in the nation, and notably the most comprehensive. Each year thousands of infants and children with special needs receive crucial therapies, special education, and other early support programming designed to give them the tools they need to reach developmental milestones. We also offer a full range of services to support the entire family, including parent education courses, specialized support groups for parents (Mothers Circle, Fathers Network) and siblings (Sibshops), specialized programming for foster parents, and a true sense of community for those facing the unexpected journey of raising a child with special needs. Specialties

Developmental assessments; physical, occupational, speech, nutrition/feeding, and mental health therapies; special education; parent and sibling support groups; parent education; family counseling; specialized support for children in foster care and their families; private therapy; and an inclusive toddler preschool. The Need Is Great

Kindering is now serving more children than ever before, and demand for our services is growing. Over the last five years, enrollment in our early support program has more than doubled. Infants cannot wait: research proves that birth to three years of age is a critical period for development. Early support can change a child's life, and you can help Kindering ensure that no child in need is ever turned away from receiving the support they need to develop to their fullest potential.

We were delighted to be part of the Verdant Community Health Networking event. Thanks for having us and thanks to all th...
11/06/2025

We were delighted to be part of the Verdant Community Health Networking event. Thanks for having us and thanks to all those who stopped by to learn more about Kindering đź’ś

Here are some emergency food resources in our community. We will continue reposting and sharing more resources on our Fa...
11/04/2025

Here are some emergency food resources in our community. We will continue reposting and sharing more resources on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Did you know? Kindering offers Parent Education classes and 1:1 coaching and support aimed at giving parents confidence ...
11/04/2025

Did you know? Kindering offers Parent Education classes and 1:1 coaching and support aimed at giving parents confidence and useful strategies as they navigate their child’s early years.

Here are our upcoming November and December classes:

✨The Power of Family Routines and Rituals
Routines help young children feel safe, develop life skills and build healthy habits. Family rituals and routines are also powerful tools to nurture deep emotional bonds and encourage open communication and understanding among people. Join the discussion as we share how to incorporate both into our family and learning communities.

When: Wednesday, November 5, 2025, from 7:00 – 8:30pm OR Tuesday, December 9, 2025, from 12:30 – 1:30pm
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Presenter: Cristina Wheatley, M.Ed.

STARs hours available for parents who are also Early Childhood Educators

✨Educational Toys for Young Children
Do you have birthdays, holidays or other celebrations coming up? Are you unsure what gift to buy for the child or children in your life? Join this session as we discuss the characteristics (and examples) of quality toys that help children to learn and grow.

When: Monday, November 10, 2025, from 12:30 – 1:30pm OR Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 6:30 – 8:00pm
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Presenter: Cristina Wheatley, M.Ed.

STARs hours available for parents who are also Early Childhood Educators

Visit kindering.org/parent-education to learn more and register đź”—

November is Native American Heritage Month đź’ś
11/03/2025

November is Native American Heritage Month đź’ś

10/31/2025
These past couple of days, we’ve been glad to participate in the Early Learning Action Alliance’s annual legislative ret...
10/31/2025

These past couple of days, we’ve been glad to participate in the Early Learning Action Alliance’s annual legislative retreat, organized by the ever-thoughtful team at Children's Alliance.

Advocates from across the state came together to plan for the upcoming legislative session. And it was a great chance to hear from legislators, agency staff, and others about what we can do to be effective advocates for children — who deserve our very best.

October is AAC Awareness Month and our very own Speech Language Pathologist, Misty, is sharing what AAC is and how it ca...
10/30/2025

October is AAC Awareness Month and our very own Speech Language Pathologist, Misty, is sharing what AAC is and how it can empower our kids to communicate their wants, needs, and most importantly, sass their parents too!

Watch full video here: https://youtu.be/uws7-tbmWp4

October is AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Awareness Month đź’śAAC is the term used to describe all the different ways people communicate with...

Huge thanks to all of you who joined us last Friday for Kindering's 20th Annual Luncheon! 🦋Our new CEO Mike Stewart shar...
10/30/2025

Huge thanks to all of you who joined us last Friday for Kindering's 20th Annual Luncheon!

🦋Our new CEO Mike Stewart shared his vision for Kindering's future;
🏆We honored Senator Jamie Pedersen with the Legislative Champion Award and he underlined the importance of advocating systems change;
đź’śExperienced the impact of Kindering's therapies through Dillon's story and heard latest updates from his mom (and new Kindering Board member), Stephanie Benedict;
✨Heard a powerful keynote address from Jae Kim, the Information and Referral Program Manager at The Arc of King County and a fierce advocate for inclusion and disability rights;
🥰...and most importantly, came together as a community!

Together, we raised over $281,000!

Shout out to all the generous donors, volunteers, staff, and tireless Kindering supporters for making our event such a smashing success! We couldn't have done it without you!!

📸 Bryan Tucker

Thank you, Jae Kim and The Arc of King County đź’ś
10/27/2025

Thank you, Jae Kim and The Arc of King County đź’ś

Thank you, Seattle Children's Autism Center team for joining our Luncheon! đź’ś
10/27/2025

Thank you, Seattle Children's Autism Center team for joining our Luncheon! đź’ś

Kindering will be closed on Wednesday, October 29, for a Staff Development Day. If you have any questions, please reach ...
10/24/2025

Kindering will be closed on Wednesday, October 29, for a Staff Development Day. If you have any questions, please reach out to your direct service provider.

Staff Development Days are dedicated to required trainings and agencywide updates to ensure staff remain current and well-informed. Thank you for your understanding!

Huge thanks to all the guests, speakers, and volunteers who helped us make Kindering’s 20th Annual Luncheon a success! S...
10/24/2025

Huge thanks to all the guests, speakers, and volunteers who helped us make Kindering’s 20th Annual Luncheon a success! Stay tuned for how much we raised today to support children of all abilities in our community. ♥️

Address

16120 NE 8th Street
Bellevue, WA
98008

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+14257474004

Website

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