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Supporting Douglas County's littlest learners and their families.
Tuesday
January 27, 2026
Join us for a FREE
pediatric vision screening!
On Tuesday, January 26th, trained screeners will be in our Family Resource Center to provide FREE pediatric vision screenings. Each screening takes only five minutes to complete and can provide valuable information about a child's vision system, allowing for early intervention if needed.
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All volunteers have been trained in the use of the SPOT vision screening device, which can detect five common risk factors of vision issues in patients as young as six months old. This camera-sized device requires just one second of focus from a child’s eyes to “take a picture”. Parents are always present while a volunteer sits three to five feet away to use the SPOT.
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Sign up for an appointment time
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Download the parent permission form
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The Vision Team is made up of Lions Club members, staff and volunteers for Audio Reader, and alumane members of the Delta Gamma sorority. Each of these non-profit organizations promotes vision conservation and supports those who are visually impaired.
Family Resource Center
Our Family Resource Center helps support young families when and where they need it most. Whether at home, in the workplace, or at our offices, we meet with folks to help them tackle complex problems and provide information, education, advocacy, and support.
Our team can help navigate systems such as assistance seeking employment or education, help make sure both parents and children have the material items they need, access services through our partners, and help them be the best parents they can be!
Early Childhood
Clothing Closet
As part of our mission to support families in need, Community Children's Center operates an early childhood clothing closet. We provide free, gently used clothing for sizes 0-6T and maternity wear.
We understand that as children grow, clothing can be a significant expense for families, and we want to help alleviate that burden. We welcome all donations and encourage families needing to make an appointment to shop at our closet. Every little bit helps, and we're proud to do our part in supporting our community.
Grow & Go Playgroup
At Community Children's Center, we understand the importance of socialization for young children. Our team is dedicated to providing a welcoming and friendly environment where kids can learn and grow while having fun.
We believe in the power of play-based learning, and our programs are designed to foster creativity and curiosity in every child. Our Grow and Go programs are a great step in social-emotional development for children using play and song. Even better, the sessions are free and don't require advance sign-up. Join us most Thursdays from 10-11AM to give your child the best possible start in life!
Who Are We?
Community Children's Center has served Douglas County since 1965, bridging the gap in available, accessible, and affordable high-quality early childhood care for kids 0-5 in our community.
We provide education, support, advocacy, and programs to build stronger families and promote family and workplace health in Lawrence.
If you would like to join us in supporting Douglas County's littlest learners, please join our growing group of supporters, volunteers, and donors, all of whom are dedicated to supporting infants, toddlers, and young children in our community.
Early Childhood
Community Center
Community Children's Center is dedicated to providing young children with a nurturing and supportive environment. Our building at 346 Maine St. houses a Family Resource Center with robust wraparound supports and early care, education, and therapy in partnership with Creating Connections Child Development Center.
Future goals include providing care during nontraditional hours and/or on a drop-in basis to provide additional child care solutions for Douglas County.
Our Impact
We're excited to see the big impact we've made in our community in 2024! We hope to make even greater strides to provide support and bring families closer in 2025 with the opening of our Early Childhood Community Center.
22,725
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651/727
156/600
The number of clothing items for 0-5 year olds and expectant mothers which we distributed in 2024. That is more than 2X what we gave out in 2023!
The number of caregivers and the number of children we served with Community Children's Center services in 2024.
The number of families who participated in Grow & Go and the number of touchpoints with those families in 2024.