Cerebral Palsy Family Day

Fostering connection and empowerment within the CP community

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a lifelong condition. We created Cerebral Palsy Family Day to encourage families to build lifelong connections with each other and to plan for full and long lives for their children with CP.

We aren’t just aiming for universal access – we want universal thinking. It’s important that caregivers start visualizing how their role can shift to supporter so their child can become as independent as possible. Ultimately, we hope caregivers see that their child’s independence is a really a kind of interdependence.

Christopher Worth, BFA, MA, MED
Community advocate and adult with CP

CP Family Day is an annual event at the Missouri Botanical Garden that is free to all families cared for at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Cerebral Palsy and Mobility Center. During this event, caregivers learn about what it is like to grow up with CP from adults with CP. They also engage with our community partners to plan for long term goals for their children with CP including learning about financial assistance, support groups, mental health care, housing and employment programs, and post-secondary education. While caregivers are learning together, volunteers and staff from the Cerebral Palsy and Mobility Center guide children with CP and their siblings through the beautiful and accessible Missouri Botanical Garden as they engage in activities like creating music, exploring plant-life, and playing together.

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