Evolving Together with Pacekids

The Cause

Pacekids Society for Children with Special Needs (Pacekids Programs) was founded by the passionate families of six children with diverse needs who wanted better support for their children. Today we serve over 600 children and families each year through excellence in therapy, education, and play. Pacekids believe every child deserves to thrive, and no child is turned away from programming because of their financial situation.

Our team of dedicated professionals includes teachers, classroom therapy aides, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, behavioural strategists, speech-language pathologists, and psychologists. Teams collaborate to serve children with diverse needs and disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, speech and language delays, and more.

Programs are adapted to support each child's unique needs and focus on a strength-based approach, empowering children and their families to learn, grow, and thrive. Pacekids does this through two program streams, Early Childhood Services (ECS) and Community and In-Home Services (C&IH).

Our ECS program serves 294 children in two early childhood facilities each year, and a further 27 in partnership with Trellis Society’s community pre-school/kindergarten. Families in ECS programs have a diagnosis of disability or assessed delay in reaching developmental milestones. This program reaches children between 2.8 – 6 years of age, and is targeted to engage children to explore, connect, and develop skills that will support them throughout their education journey.

Our Community and In-Home programs primarily support children from six months to 12 years of age and their families through flexible support directly where the family needs it. Families in these programs have a child with a diagnosed disability which must be a chronic developmental, physical, sensory, mental, or neurological condition/impairment. These programs currently support 300-350 families each year and currently have a waitlist of over 250 families.

Who Will it Benefit?

Pacekids Programs is powered by passionate, skilled, and caring staff who devote their careers to supporting the many families we serve. In recognition of their dedication and to strengthen staff relationships, we intend to host an inspirational speaker on our annual Collaboration Day. A speaker with lived experience will engage, energize, and fuel staff to reflect on and strengthen their “why”.

2,275 individuals will benefit from Pacekids Collaboration Day this year (174 staff + 600 children Pacekids serves + 1,500 family members). Impact will have a resounding ripple effect as dedicated and reinvigorated staff lead by example.

The power of positivity, coupled with the support of our hard-working professionals, will encourage children and their families to embrace possibilities in every challenging situation. This will be a catalyst for families and their support networks to learn, grow, and thrive.