Kindering Center

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. Each year more than 6,500 children and their families receive crucial therapies, special education, and counseling. Kindering was founded in 1962 by five Bellevue-area mothers of children with disabilities. It was initially called the Eastside Preschool for the Special Child. Within a few years the preschool was incorporated, gained public funding, gradually replaced volunteers with paid professionals, and changed the agency name to Merrywood School. Innovative programming, including support for fathers, foster care, child care and parent education, and new funding sources, including membership in the United Way of King County and status as a neurodevelopmental center, were added in following years. In 1993, Merrywood School became Kindering Center. To reflect the kindness, kinship, and superior child development services families would receive, we coined the word "Kindering" - the best of early intervention.

Kindering is a comprehensive neurodevelopmental center, providing physical and occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and special education for children with developmental delays, as well as supports for the whole family. Our services include specialized outreach for families who are homeless or housing insecure, immigrants and refugees or those whose first language is not English, and families in the kinship and foster care system. Family supports include parent education and support for siblings of children with special needs.