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Supporters of this project include:
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Adjacent to Mercaz Rakefet Child Development Center
The Toy Lending Library and Developmental Playroom is the first of its kind in Bet Shemesh. It functions as an adjunct to the therapy programs at Merkaz Rakefet Child Development Center, allowing for children and their families from all socio-economic backgrounds to learn through the use of toys and achieve their developmental milestones in a timely manner.
Today in Bet Shemesh we are the only parent-child program for young children with development delays to improve their fine motor, communication and creative skills.
We offer access to suitable toys and parental guidance to:
- Children in families facing financial constraints who often have few toys at home that meet their developmental needs.
- Parents of developmentally delayed children where the challenge is even greater. Their children need special toys, which often are more costly and less available. This often is compounded by the child’s many other needs, and may leave the family overwhelmed.
- Other parents, who may be able to afford toys, but want to provide a variety of games and toys without buying them.
Children with developmental delays need special techniques to help them learn through play. In order for there to be “normal” play in the family environment, their parents and siblings need to be taught these strategies. The developmental playroom allows brothers and sisters to learn to play with their delayed sibling in a “safe” and supervised environment. By involving both parents and children and encouraging sibling participation where needed, we empower the family system, which benefits the well-being and development of the child.
Parents join their child in a guided play session, directed by a developmental therapist who teaches them how to use a specific toy for their child’s needs. These sessions serve as an adjunct to therapy for a developmentally challenged child and also provide parents of typically developing children the skills they need to play with their child. Additionally, parents borrow a specific toy to play with at home to try out toys, see what is most appropriate and are able to vary the toy stimulation by changing the toy weekly.
Goals of the project:
- To help parents of developmentally delayed children better understand their child’s play needs and to provide them with hands on training
- To offer children and parents the opportunity to borrow a toy to take home, to allow for practice and mastery of skills.
- To further the timely development of children from low socio-economic families whose parents may not have the financial ability to buy toys .
To sign up for membership to the Toy Library please contact maayan@ligdolvlifroach.org or call us on 02-9920947.
