Decatur Public Library

Our Family Place designated play area has had a very positive impact on the children that visit the Decatur Public Library. The Family Place area has made the children's department a very welcoming and exciting place for children and their caregivers to come. The children that visit are exposed to many different types of quality toys that they may not have access to at home. Our space contains a kitchen with a large variety of play food and eating utensils, it also contains a doll house with multicultural dolls, and a dramatic play area with a number of dress up options, as well as a puppet show area. The area also has infant toys such as a shape sorters and stackers, and toy trucks/vehicles. Parents and caregivers are compliment the area regularly and children exclaim how fun and exciting it is to go to the library. 

The Family Place workshops have been very beneficial to the community by allowing children and their parent/adult caregiver the opportunity to interact with healthcare or developmental experts that work with children. The workshops give parents the opportunity to get their children in contact with professionals they may be able to provide a service or aid to them. It has also been beneficial to the parents/adult caregiver as well by giving them a chance to meet other parents they may be facing the same obstacles, or simply to be able to socially interact with other parents.