Smiling boy and girl, each holding a book.

The Children’s Trust Family Expo Delivers 128,000 Square Feet of Fun with Crowds Expected to Top 15,000

Miami, FL –  The Children’s Trust will host its annual Family Expo, a fun-filled family-centric community event created to connect parents to a wide range of programs and services for their children, on Saturday, September 8, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo Center (entrances on Coral Way at 109th and 112th Avenues). Admission, parking and all activities and entertainment are FREE

Hundreds of direct service organizations will be on hand to introduce parents to after-school programs that keep their children safe, engaged and learning after the last bell rings; enrichment programs that immerse them in the arts, robotics, filmmaking and coding; and sports programs that encourage them to stay focused and fit. Health and wellness resources, as well as a slew of literacy and academic supports, will also be represented.

“It’s difficult to be a parent, but you’re not alone out there,” says Trust President and CEO James Haj. “There are services and providers throughout this community to help with all aspects of raising children and building stronger families, and this is the place where you’ll find them.” 

New for 2018 is UM’s Pediatric Mobile Clinic, which will administer medical screenings to kids; a mobile arcade; a teddy bear clinic sponsored by Jackson Health System where kids can use bandages and bear hugs to make their plush charges all better; a living, breathing “statue” of Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts; a three-piece, interactive, paint-by-number mural project – think giant coloring book – sponsored by The Motivational Edge; and elaborately costumed and Carnaval-like stilt walkers sure to dazzle from up on high. 

Returning favorites include a pop-up planetarium, bounce houses and a rock climbing wall, arts and crafts activities, kid-friendly Zumba classes, fencing and robotics demonstrations, storybook character meet-and-greets, and face painters and balloon artists. Big-ticket raffles will be held throughout the day; kids who get there when the doors open will receive a free backpack from The Children’s Trust. Sign language interpreters will be on-site. Food and beverages will be available for sale at the event.

Sponsors of the 2018 Family Expo include the Miami Herald, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the Foundation for New Education Initiatives and Baptist Health South Florida. 

For more information about The Children’s Trust Family Expo, visit www.thechildrenstrust.org. For media inquiries, please contact Meieli Sawyer at The Weinbach Group at 305.668.0070.

The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future.

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Media Contact: 
Natalia Zea
Chief Public Policy & Community Engagement Officer, The Children’s Trust
natalia@thechildrenstrust.org