Infant Program
We believe a caring and involved family is a child’s most valuable teacher.
Expert Support in the Early Years
Our Infant Program nurtures vital developmental skills in children birth to 18 months, building a strong foundation for early learning.
Anchor Center is one of a handful of nonprofit organizations nationwide offering specialized vision and early childhood intervention services from a multi-disciplinary team of experts.
We excel at helping infants who have visual impairments or are deafblind in the very early years of development.Our goal is to help families gain knowledge, skills and confidence. From helping infants with sleeping and feeding needs to teaching about communication, our teachers and therapists share their expertise to nurture each child’s holistic growth. This approach allows us to support children in all aspects of vision, sensory needs, development and education.
Families attend the Infant Program twice a week with their baby. Our team of vision teachers and physical, speech/language, occupational and music therapists:
- Work with babies on sensory exploration and development
- Teach families about infant development and caregiving specific to their baby’s vision and/or vision/hearing impairments
- Demonstrate and teach on a wide array of early childhood and infant care, such as positioning, crawling, feeding and eating, sleeping, and infant socialization
- Share play-based learning activities that can easily be done at home
- Help families understand their child’s diagnosis and strengths
- Connect families with families who share their journey
Together, we help families understand and nurture their baby’s unique growth potential.
Anchor Center changed our lives forever. It is our community, our support, and a home away from home. It is a place where the dignity and potential of every child is respected.
Erin, Patrick’s mom
How to Enroll
Enrollment in our Infant Program begins with our referral process. Each child should have a pediatric ophthamology exam. Once referred to Anchor Center, our team will schedule a Functional Vision Assessment (FVA) with the family. The FVA evaluates each child’s unique vision challenges and strengths, informing eligibility for vision services while assisting families in identifying the most appropriate options for their child and themselves. Click below to learn more about our enrollment process.
Tuition and Fees
We never turn any child away based on an inability to pay tuition.
Tuition for our Infant Program is $165 per month. Tuition helps to fund program expenses throughout the year to ensure our services remain at the highest level of expertise and quality for your child.
Tuition is collected September – May. Monthly invoices will be sent and payments can be made online, by mail, or in person.
In some cases, your Early Intervention provider may subsidize Anchor Center’s tuition. Please ask your Early Intervention Service Coordinator about this possibility.
Refer a Child
Knowing what to do if you have concerns about your child’s vision can be overwhelming. We’re here to help make the process easier.
Meet Louise
Louise was diagnosed with albinism. Her parents Megan and Scot were heartbroken. They were overwhelmed with questions of “Will she be able to see?” and “Will kids make fun of her?”
“The moment we walked in the doors at Anchor Center, we knew it was the right place for us,” Megan shares.Louise might be a face you’ve seen before. A video of her trying on glasses for the first time went viral, now receiving over 14 million views. Megan proudly advocates for albinism and recalls: “We were shocked. The outpouring of support and response was overwhelmingly wonderful.”
Our team works one-on-one with Louise on practicing depth perception, hand-eye coordination, and orientation and mobility. Megan is grateful for the experience: “Because of this place we have a sense of hope and no longer feel alone in this journey. The staff makes us feel like family and together we are united in the ups and downs. We are blessed and know that Louise is going to thrive beyond our wildest dreams.”