LETTER: Thanks for helping Child Development Center

In Northwest Montana, we take care of our neighbors, even when those neighbors live several miles away and lead very different lives under our big sky. Most importantly, we take care of our children.

The Child Development Center partners with local families whose children have developmental delays or disabilities, supporting their needs where they live, play and grow. We are dedicated to the belief that ALL children deserve the opportunity to develop their potential. Our proverbial village in Flathead Valley helps make this work possible.

Thank you, Flathead valley residents, for your ongoing support and generosity, and especially for your open hearts to us and to our clients. At the moment, we’re particularly grateful to members of Flathead Electric Cooperative for rounding up your bills to support Roundup for Safety, as well as to the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors and Whitefish Therapy & Sport Center: Your collective donations built our “Play & Grow” shade pavilion at the Child Development Center in Kalispell!

The “Play & Grow” pavilion serves as an outdoor site where kids with disabilities from across Northwest Montana can convene, socialize and learn new skills. Many children we support have mobility restrictions, significant medical needs and challenging behaviors, so this pavilion provides a safe and welcoming environment for them (and their families) to get together, surrounded by Montana’s great outdoors! These experiences equip them to lead more independent and fulfilling lives, now and on into the future.

Your gifts make a real difference. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive community that enriches all of our lives. Again, a heartfelt thank you from your Child Development Center. —Carolyn Prussen, executive director, and Lea Shanks, childrens’ waiver services program director