A Special Place Therapeutic Preschool
A Special Place Therapeutic Preschool is the ONLY preschool in Sonoma County offering onsite therapy to children ages 3 – 5 years old.
Our preschool is state subsidized, full day learning environment opened Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We provide healthy snacks and meals as prescribed by the State of California Food Program of which we are a part. Our focus is on developing social and emotional skills so our preschoolers can become kindergarten ready learners.
What is a State Funded Preschool?
The YWCA offers the only therapeutic preschool for 3-5 year-old’s in Sonoma County. The teachers are credentialed by the State of California Department of Education with an emphasis on Social-Emotional and Self-Regulation. As a therapeutic preschool, we work extensively with at-risk children, helping them identify their emotions and develop socially. As a state subsidized preschool, we follow the Department of Education framework for early learning curriculum and the children are assessed through DRDP (Desired Results Developmental Profiles) observations to chart their development.
Why a Therapeutic Preschool?
Early Intervention Promotes Social Emotional Skills
Children often enter the program who are referred to us by Family Youth and Children’s Services, or who have witnessed or who are victims of domestic violence. Once in our program, they are referred to group or individual play or art. A social emotional curriculum is woven throughout the program to teach children impulse control and self-regulation in addition to academic skills to make them successful when entering kindergarten. We also provide support and education to our parents to promote their own healing and help them to create safe, nurturing homes for their children.
The Importance of Nutrition in Growing Children
Free and Reduced Healthy Meals Help Children Grow
The program is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, we serve up to 30 children daily with a 1:8 teacher-to-student ratio. Each child is provided with breakfast, lunch and a nutritious snack; all meals are provided and supervised through the USDA Child Care food program. For information on the current or past lunch menus, see our Parent Information page.
The Importance of a Social Emotional Curriculum 
A curriculum to develop childrens’ self-help skills
Our efforts to increase competencies in these areas include integrating the PRIDE skills program. This program, from the Behavioral Consultation Project, includes working with licensed therapists to develop an evidence-based child-teacher interaction model that focuses on Praising appropriate behavior; Reflecting appropriate talk, restating and expanding child’s comments; Imitating appropriate play; describing appropriate behavior; and being enthusiastic. Additionally, our teachers attend workshops and conferences to enhance their expertise and incorporate positive discipline into their interactions with the children. We also integrate the CSEFL (Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning) Curriculum into our program and work with our parents using Triple P(Positive Parenting Program) in building positive parenting skills.
For more information, please email ASPSantaRosa (at) ywcasc.org