The fall season is an exciting time for children, with highlights such as returning to school, enjoying fall activities and celebrating Halloween. However, for kids with physical, developmental and/or intellectual disabilities, the hallmarks of the season can sometimes pose added challenges, especially when compounded by the strain of navigating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

R&J’s client First Children Services, a premier provider of behavioral health and special education services in New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania, is well aware of the obstacles faced by the children and families it serves. These challenges can be particularly acute among those that attend First Children School, a Department of Education-approved private school serving students from pre-K through high school with multiple disabilities. As such, the First Children team goes to great lengths to ensure that their students and their families can enjoy the season (and the return to school) every bit as much as their peers.

To help elevate awareness of the exceptional services First Children School provides to their students, the R&J team leveraged two seasonal events the school was hosting by inviting media to attend—a back-to-school makeover event that provided on-site haircuts for First Children Services’ male students as well as the school’s inaugural Fall Fest, a seasonal celebration full of fall-themed activities that challenged students physically, academically and socially.

R&J conducted extensive media outreach leading up to both events and as a result secured media coverage for the haircut event on News 12 NJ and WMBC-TV, and for the Fall Fest on PIX11 and News12 NJ.

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