Connect LA Families!

Expand existing program

We are in the process of identifying 5 community organizations in under-served areas to receive community grants via the Inclusive Communities Grant Program. Our confirmed partner is Los Angeles Unified School District's Division of Special Education.

We have a 20-year track record of building strong partners that support social inclusion for Los Angeles’ diverse communities. Mike Shull, General Manager of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, has been a powerful partner, helping to support the development of inclusive playgrounds since 1998. LAUSD has partnered with our education program since 2002, connecting us to more than 250 schools. Organizations such as Best Start, First 5 LA, regional centers, Exceptional Children’s Foundation, Head Start, CHLA, and many more have connected families to both gather input into the design of the playgrounds and participate in our programs. We will utilize these existing partnerships to identify sustainable grantees for Connect Families LA to scale up inclusion for our families.

Children with disabilities frequently face isolation both in their communities and schools. In one study on young adults with Autism, 1 in 4 who participated had absolutely no peer contact in a 12-month period. In a school setting, children with disabilities are 60% more likely to be involved in bullying. This lack of social interaction, which provides critical developmental benefits, and continued negative peer experiences can impact lives well into adulthood. One study found that 85% of the adults with disabilities who reported losing their jobs did so due to a lack of social skills. There are almost 65,000 children with disabilities in LAUSD. We are a diverse city, and now more than ever, the most vulnerable families need to connect in a truly inclusive and meaningful way. Connect LA Families will level the playing field by empowering community organizations to create compassionate connections in their neighborhoods.

At Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, we believe our communities are stronger when we play together! For over 20 years, we have been helping Los Angeles neighborhoods create inclusive community play spaces. There are 42 open in Los Angeles County. In 2002, we began two social inclusion programs that activate these community spaces because we realized families were not utilizing them due to the social/emotional bias their children experienced in public…stares, rude comments, questions, and peers excluding them. Overcoming this barrier required an intentional structure that supported our families socially and emotionally. My PlayClub, our successful and proven family program, provides a powerful social network for families of all abilities through fully integrated play events and online resources. Our education program extends that connection into those children’s schools, educating their teachers and peers on how to facilitate social inclusion on their campuses.

Most of the children served by Connect Families LA will be between the ages of 1 and 13 and come from a variety of socio-economic circumstances. The children we work with have a wide range of conditions, which include Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fragile Bone Disease, Rhetts Syndrome, Visual Impairment, Deafness, and many others. Many of our children have multiple disabilities, which result in both physical and mental impairments, and most of the students that participate in our programs are classified as having moderate to severe disabilities. Of the children we work with, 80% of them attend Title 1, which is an indicator of poverty.