A new event, organized by the Cullman County Child Development Center (CDC) Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), will be looking to provide a fun-filled, inclusive way for families to become more aware of the area’s vast selection of resources, regardless of what the need may be.

CDC PTO Secretary Jennifer Hodges said one of the group’s primary goals when it was formed in August was to create ways in which it could engage the surrounding community and raise awareness and acceptance for children with special needs and their families.

“One of [CDC Principal] Chris Chambers’ ongoing dreams was for our school to host an Expo for all families, with resources. So, the Cullman Family Expo was an event formed from those two goals.

“We are excited to offer inclusive, free, family fun and spread awareness of the CDC’s programs and services while building community relationships that support our kids with disabilities,” Hodges said.

The first Cullman Family Expo will take place this Saturday, April 15, at the Cullman County Agricultural Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will feature a list of activities one would expect to find at a family friendly event. Food trucks, bounce houses and a play area for children will provide hours of weekend entertainment for the entire family. The CDC’s new — currently unnamed — Lion mascot will also be making its first public appearance.

But, CDC PTO member Stephanie Childers said these activities are just an added bonus and the event’s intended purpose lies within its extensive list of vendors and exhibitors.

Childers explained how parents, especially those whose children have been diagnosed with physical or mental disorders, can often feel secluded and overwhelmed with how to best meet their child’s needs. She said this event was a way to bring “just about every resource we could find in Cullman County” together and connect with the families who could benefit from them.

“Sometimes you just don’t know where to go and you don’t know what resources are out there. Our vision for this was to have a place where everybody felt comfortable bringing their kids and we could get some of the people offering those resources together,” Childers said.

Childers said the process for creating the list of vendors began organically, with PTO members discussing the organizations they have benefited from themselves and reaching out to see if they would like to participate. Once news of the event began to spread, that dynamic shifted and it was the organizations who began requesting to participate.

The current lineup includes more than 30 businesses and non-profit agencies from across Cullman County who provide assistance in the form of everything from food, to specialized gymnastic lessons for disabled children, to salon services catering to children with sensory issues.

“There’s just a lot of resources in Cullman that are fantastic, but just aren’t advertised as well as I think they should be,” Childers said.

Childers said, at times, a parent’s most pressing need is simply having other families in similar situations they can talk to. Supervisors will be located at the sensory play area, who will watch their children while they visit with other parents.

“A lot of times when you find out your child has something extra going on, you feel like you’re on an island. We saw that as a need as well, that it wasn’t just for the kids, us as parents, we just need a place to feel safe to talk about these things,” Childers said. “We just wanted to let people know that there are people out here that care for you and we want to help.”

For more information and to view the complete list of vendors and exhibitors visit cullmanfamilyexpo.com.