Respite care gets talked about mainly as an emergency option, but most families who use it need something more routine: a regular few hours to recharge, trusted care while traveling through Colorado Springs, or a one-time break during a hard stretch. This article covers who respite care at Zach's Place actually serves, what a respite visit looks like, and why the same inclusive, trained environment that supports children with disabilities also makes it a solid option for families who just need a reliable place for their kids to be for a few hours.

The school day ending at 3 p.m. doesn't mean the workday does too, which is the whole reason after-school programs exist. This article looks at what after-school care at Zach's Place includes, why an inclusive classroom setup benefits any child who spends the afternoon there, and how Colorado Springs families weighing after-school options can figure out if it's the right fit, regardless of whether their child has a disability or not.

Summer schedules are loose by design, which makes the first week back to a structured day harder than it needs to be. This article breaks down how to rebuild a back-to-school routine in the two weeks before day one: sleep, meals, and morning structure, adjusted in small steps instead of all at once. The same approach works whether your child is heading into a typical preschool classroom or needs a little more predictability to feel ready, which is exactly how routines are handled every day at Zach's Place in Colorado Springs.

Colorado's Universal Preschool program covers free hours for many 3- and 4-year-olds, but how that works day to day depends on where you enroll. At Zach's Place, UPK happens inside inclusive classrooms where typically developing children and children with disabilities learn side by side. This article walks through what UPK actually covers, what makes a Zach's Place classroom different from a standard preschool room, and how Colorado Springs families can find out if their child qualifies before the school year fills up.

Did you know that every child in Colorado is entitled to free, high-quality preschool in the year before kindergarten? Colorado's Universal Pre-K (UPK) program provides eligible 4-year-olds with up to 15 hours of preschool per week at no cost to families. Zach's Place at the Laurie Hillyard Family Center in Colorado Springs is a licensed UPK provider — and we make the process simple for every family, whether your child is neurotypical or has special needs. Here's everything you need to know about UPK and how to get started at Zach's Place.