Inclusive Chinese Families
A welcoming way into Mandarin and Chinese community life for families whose children communicate, move, learn, and settle in their own ways. Parents stay alongside their children, and every family is welcome as it is.
Program details
- Ages
- Around 3–8 years
- Where
- South Bay, Bay Area
- Format
- In person
- Language
- Mandarin, with English support
Program highlights
Inclusive family sessions
Mandarin stories, songs, and play, with a picture schedule and a quiet space, so every child can join in their own way.
Parent circles in Chinese
Caregivers meet other families, share what has helped, and hear about trusted local resources, in the language they are most at home in.
A toolkit to share
We are developing a bilingual toolkit of picture schedules and inclusive story time guidance for libraries, Chinese schools, and community groups.
What a session looks like
Each session follows a picture schedule, so children can see what comes next: a short Mandarin story, music and movement, then art or play they choose themselves. Families arrive when they are ready.
There is no single right way to take part. Children can sit, move, watch from the side, communicate without words, or step away for a break. Parents and caregivers stay throughout, and volunteers trained in sensory awareness and respectful communication help at every session.
Who it is for
Chinese-speaking immigrant and Chinese American families raising young children, around ages 3 to 8, who are autistic, have ADHD, are sensitive to sound or touch, communicate differently, or simply do better in a more flexible setting. Families describe their child in their own words. No diagnosis, insurance, or English fluency is needed.
A community program, not a clinical service
We do not diagnose, provide therapy or case management, or give individual medical, educational, or legal advice. When a family is looking for specialist support, we point them to established organizations in the Bay Area.
Coming to a session
Sessions are held in the South Bay. Registered families receive the location, date, and what to bring by email before each session.
Supported by
This program is supported by a grant from the UCA Community Foundation (UCACF), a subsidiary of United Chinese Americans (UCA). Thank you to UCACF and UCA for standing with Chinese American families.
Register
Message us on WeChat or email us, and we will reply with the joining details before the next session. A line about your child, in your own words, helps us get ready.
Scan with WeChat to add us as a friend.
Account: 湾区中文亲子读书会