At Encompass, partnering with families is important to build a healthy foundation for children of all abilities.

The longtime Valley nonprofit has the vision to build a community where all children thrive. Encompass offers many programs for children and families across the Valley and greater Eastside. With their two locations in North Bend and Carnation, Encompass is impacting the community.

Encompass offers early learning programs, pediatric therapy programs, and family enrichment programs for children from birth to 8 years old and their families.

Through the early program, Encompass helps children from 12 months to 5 years old build a strong base of cognitive, social-emotional and physical skills. The nationally accredited preschool offers full-day and half-day classes for children from 2-5 years old, both in North Bend and Carnation. Each classroom has a 6-to-1 student to teacher ratio. They also offer toddler groups at both sites for children 12 to 36 months old and their caregivers. Offsite, Encompass offers a parent-child home program (PCHP) for income-qualifying families. Through PCHP, qualified staff meets with families regularly to provide free educational toys and books to show parents the way to help prepare their child for school.

“We really believe that we’re striving to accept people as they are and help them however they are,” Encompass executive director Nela Cumming said.

To build a healthy foundation for children, Encompass focuses on creating a partnership with families. And trough their family enrichment programs, families are provided with support, information and tools. Encompass offers parenting groups, free parenting workshops, kinship classes for grandparents and parents night out once a month. For siblings and older children, Encompass offers Sibshops for siblings of children with special needs. Safety classes are offered for teens and preteens ages 9 to 15.

At Encompass, they seek to identify developmental delays and behavioral challenges in children as early as possible.

“We’re here for you,” Cumming said. “If you have a child, no matter what circumstance… reach out to us. We want to be here for you.”

Through their pediatric therapy program, Encompass offers clinical therapy services to children from birth to 8 years old. They offer feeding therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social skills groups, and speech and language therapy. The trained staff also offers birth to three early intervention in the families’ homes. The off-site program is integrated care services for children who have disabilities or developmental delays. A mobile therapy unit van also brings pediatric therapy to underserved communities in the area.

In 2017-2018 alone, Encompass served 1,580 individuals through 26 different programs and 4,138 services. The nonprofit’s in-home programs serve a 760-square-mile radius and 400 square miles in Snoqualmie Valley School District, 250 square miles in Riverview School District, and 110 square miles in the Issaquah School District.

To help raise funds for its early learning, pediatric therapy and family enrichment programs, Encompass is hosting its third annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast on April 23. The breakfast will take place at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. This year’s speaker is Kevin P. Haggerty, a University of Washington expert, who will deliver a presentation on how communities and professionals can better support children who have experienced trauma. Guests will also get a sneak peek inside the mobile therapy unit van.

To learn more about Encompass and the programs offered go online to www.encompassnw.org.