The Belle Center Of St. Louis

The Belle Center provides therapy services to children with delays and disabilities to help them to walk, talk, read and write. We accomplish this through our three programs throughout St. Louis City and County. Embedded Early Learning Program The full inclusion preschool program allows children with disabilities—ages 2 to 6 years—to learn and play with their typically developing peers. The Belle Center was the first organization in the Midwest to provide a preschool program where children with and without disabilities could learn and play together. The Belle Center’s partnerships with University City Children’s Center, South Side Day Nursery and the Jewish Community Center make this possible. Over 100 children will be supported at these locations during 2011. Community Outreach Programs The Belle Center’s therapists travel to the places that make up children’s typical days—schools, homes and community programs—to provide therapies during their regular routines. Children served are ages birth to 13. Last year Belle Center therapists provided over 6700 hours of direct services to 296 children in 197 community locations Families as Partners Programs The Families as Partners Programs offer information, consultation, resources and referrals to the parents, siblings and extended family members of children with disabilities. Through our advocacy supports Belle Center assisted 546 families throughout St. Louis. About the children served and what they received: All children served by Belle’s programs have some type of disability or developmental delay, including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, speech delays, etc. Nearly 90 percent of children served by Belle’s programs come from families who are uninsured, underinsured and underserved, and/or who receive inadequate reimbursement rates from governmental programs. This includes many middle-class families who struggle to afford therapy services for children with disabilities.