ADDAPTCO may be a long acronym, but every letter stands for an important word—All Developmental Differences & Abilities Parent Teacher Community Organization.
A non-profit organization, ADDAPTCO brings together parents, teachers and the community to support and empower Hancock County’s special needs community.
Christina Treece founded the organization in 2014 as Friends of BVS. The recent name change reflects the organization’s expanded role in the community, says Treece. “We want people to know that we are here to serve the entire community and students from every school district.”
Events and activities
A non-profit organization, ADDAPTCO sponsors annual events and activities for children with developmental differences, including a Fall Fest the third Saturday in September and a Winterfest the last Saturday in January. The inclusive events are sensory-friendly but feature carnival-type activities that all children love. “You can take your child to our events and feel safe and comfortable,” said Treece. “No one will be judging your child’s behavior.”
In addition, ADDAPTCO hosts many other activities such as art therapy at Awakening Minds Art, music therapy at Heartstring Melodies, a monthly All Abilities Day at the Children’s Museum and a special event to promote literacy. Most events are free or low cost.
“Our focus is on getting students with development differences out in the community to live and play alongside typical students,” says Treece. “By making our events inclusive, we are helping everyone understand that although we may be different in some ways, we are alike in others.”
Treece, the founder and president of ADDAPTCO, donates her time and energy to make the organization thrive. Run entirely by volunteers, ADDAPTCO could benefit from committee members and board members.
To learn more, visit addaptco.org.
