Annual Family Festival marks 25th anniversary of Springfield Parent Child Center

Within the first hour of operation, the 24th annual Family Festival at Riverside School had welcomed more than 200 children and family members, according to event greeters Teresa Battista and Donna Young.

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Annual Family Festival marks 25th anniversary of Springfield Parent Child Center BY KAREN ENGDAHL, The ShopperApril 13, 2017 Springfield Parent Child Kids playing at Edgar May Recreation Center exhibit. Photo by Karen Engdahl. SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Within the first hour of operation, the 24th annual Family Festival at Riverside School had welcomed more than 200 children and family members, according to event greeters Teresa Battista and Donna Young. “It’s been non-stop,” said Young as she handed a goodie bag to a festival-goer. “We’re getting a great turnout!” Inside the Riverside gym, children and families moved eagerly among the games, displays and activities offered by more than two dozen exhibitors. One popular activity was the ball toss, sponsored by the Springfield Fire Department. Here, excited kids took turns launching a nerf football into one of several firefighters’ boots, encircled as targets. Although many tosses missed their mark, everyone involved clearly enjoyed the challenge. Springfield Parent child SAPCC staff invite kids to frost their own cupcakes. Photo by Karen Engdahl. Other exhibitors included Suzy’s Little Peanuts daycare, Learning Garden, Squeaky Sneakers, All for One, Strengthening Families, Child Care Provider Network, Amanda Clark, SEVCA Windsor Head Start, Relay for Life, World of Discovery, Rockingham Parish, YMCA, Edgar May Recreation Center, Springfield Library, Let’s Grow Kids, Promise Communities, Springfield Police Department, Scholastic Books, SAPCC CIS-Family Support, PlayWorks Child Center, Cota & Cota photo booth, and Girl Scouts. Springfield Parent Child Firefighters help kids aim nerf balls at fire boots. Photo by Karen Engdahl. The Springfield Area Parent Child Center (SAPCC), a member of the Vermont Parent Child Center Network, offers services for all pregnant women and families with young children. They believe that raising children is both a delightful and demanding job, undoubtedly the most important job there is, and they are here to offer support and education for adults and children. They live by this important message: “Change the first five years and you change everything.” The SAPCC was incorporated in 1992 to address the increasing demands on families in Southern Windsor and Northern Windham counties. Since then they have grown from a small space on Myrtle Street, to the new campus on Main Street in North Springfield. Here they host a wide range of community services under one roof to help support early childhood education. For more information about programs and services, visit www.sapcc-vt.org.