Early intervention is a lot. The appointments, the evaluations, the paperwork, the conversations with your Infant & Toddler Program Families coordinator, the wondering about what happens next. And most of it happens at home, one family at a time.
We started the First Friday Playdate two years ago because we kept noticing something. Families in the Montgomery County Infant and Toddler Program were doing all the right things. They were showing up for their home visits, following through on strategies, advocating for their kids. But a lot of them were doing it without knowing a single other family in the same boat.
That felt like something we could help with. So we opened our doors.
"Finding your village matters. And it's really hard to find it when everyone's in their own living room."
What Actually Happens on a First Friday
The short version: kids play in our gym, grown-ups talk. Our team is around to answer questions when they come up. That's it.
The longer version is that a lot tends to happen in that hour and a half. A parent learns that another family has been working on the exact same thing they have. Someone gets a question answered that they didn't even know they needed to ask. A kid finds another kid to chase around the mat. Two parents swap phone numbers because their children are exactly the same age and live three blocks apart.
We don't run a program. We don't do presentations. We keep it loose on purpose, because what these families usually need isn't more information. It's more connection.
Free play in our therapy gym
Kids move, explore, and play together. Our space is set up for it: mats, equipment, room to roam. Parents can be right there with them, or sit and breathe for a minute while someone else watches the kids.
Meet other Infant & Toddler Program families
The early intervention years can be isolating. Infant & Toddler Program's home-visit model is exactly right for what it's designed to do, and it also means you might not know another family going through the same thing. This is the room for that.
Real questions get real answers
Our pediatric OTs, PTs, and SLPs are in the building. If something has been on your mind about your child's development, this is a good time to ask. We can't replace your Infant & Toddler Program Families coordinator, but we can help you think through things.
Learn what comes next after age 3
Infant & Toddler Program Families ends. That transition can catch families off guard. We talk openly about what the shift to Child Find and school-based services looks like, when to start thinking about it, and what options families have including outpatient therapy at MOCO.
Community resources, in one room
We share information about programs, grants, support groups, and other resources for families in the Montgomery County area. The stuff that's hard to find when you're searching alone at 11pm.
This Is Year Two
We ran this program for the first time last school year and we're keeping it going. We learned things in year one. Families told us the most valuable part wasn't anything we planned. It was the 20 minutes after, standing in the parking lot, still talking to another parent they'd just met.
We want more of that. So we'll keep showing up on the first Friday of the month and making space for it.
2026–2027 Dates
All sessions run 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM at MOCO Movement Center, 5268 Nicholson Lane, Suite A, Kensington, MD. No session in January (New Year's Day). April date is TBD.
September
4
Friday · 2026
October
2
Friday · 2026
November
6
Friday · 2026
December
4
Friday · 2026
January
No session
New Year's Day
February
5
Friday · 2027
March
5
Friday · 2027
April
TBD
Check back soon
May
7
Friday · 2027
June
4
Friday · 2027
Preregistration is required. It takes about 30 seconds — register with the form above so we know to expect you.
You don't have to be a MOCO patient. This is for any family in the Montgomery County Infant & Toddler Program Families program. If your child receives services somewhere else, you're still welcome here.
Siblings are welcome, but space in our gym is limited, so please register for everyone who's coming. Parents watch their own children during the playdate — this isn't drop-off childcare.
Questions? Email us at classes@mocomc.com or call (301) 770-5437.
Good to Know
Infant & Toddler Program Families
A parent training model. Your specialist comes to your home and works alongside you. They teach you how to support your child's development during the everyday moments: floor time, feeding, bath, play. The goal is to build your skills and your confidence as the person who's with your child most of the day. It's free, it's home-based, and it's genuinely effective.
Outpatient Therapy
Like what we offer at MOCO. Our occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists work directly with your child in a clinical setting, using specialized equipment and approaches that aren't possible on a living room floor. We can go deeper on specific goals and be more intensive about it.
Infant & Toddler Program Families and outpatient therapy: two different things, and why some families do both
We get questions about this at almost every playdate, so it's worth explaining here.
They're not the same thing. They're also not competing. A lot of families we work with are doing both at the same time. Infant & Toddler Program Families might be working on how you position your child during mealtimes while we're working on oral motor skills in clinic. Infant & Toddler Program Families might be coaching you on floor play while we're targeting core strength and motor planning in the gym. When everyone is pointing in the same direction, kids make more progress.
If you're in Infant & Toddler Program Families right now and wondering whether outpatient therapy would add something for your child, that's a conversation we're glad to have. The First Friday is a good place to start it, or you can reach out to us directly.
Services at MOCO Movement Center
We offer pediatric therapy and movement programs for children of all abilities in Kensington, MD.
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Speech-Language Pathology
Children's Movement Classes
Summer Programs
Community-Based Programs
To ask about starting services: classes@mocomc.com or (301) 770-5437