Milestones

A Child’s D.R.E.A.M. Foundation takes pride in having assisted over 16,785 children and over 30,432 parents, guardians, siblings, teachers and caregivers from the Philippines and around the world. Along with direct treatment, the Foundation also conducts community development initiatives as well as special needs advocacy. To date, the Foundation has held over 650 public community workshops, administered seminars to business and social groups throughout the region, and has worked with city officials to draft ordinances that benefit families with autism. In recognition of D.R.E.A.M.’s strong voice in special needs advocacy, the Foundation was awarded the inaugural 2014 SENIA (Special Education Network in Asia) Honorary Certificate for Advocacy in Singapore.

D.R.E.A.M. Milestones:

2026

January 19 - February 27, 2026 - Prescription for Play Series 26 resumes with 30 participants
February 25, 2026 - Dr. Francis Dimalanta, appointed to the Council of Advanced Studies of the Pontifical Academy by Monsignor Antonio Staglianò, Vatican, Italy
March 23 - May 9, 2026 - Prescription for Play Series 27 registers 31 new participants
April 18, 2026 - Little Artist, Big DREAMs - Play & Art Activity with Genteel Home & KC Nevada engages 31 children
May 25 - July 4, 2026 - Prescription for Play Series 28 commenced with 42 participants
July 13 - August 23, 2026 - Prescription for Play continues Series 29 with 57 participants
July 25 - Christmas in July for 59 street children and 10 staff members of Tiny Blessings Foundation in collaboration with Rotary Club of Makati Business District in McDonald's Guadalupe Makati

2025

January 13 - Prescription for Play Series 21 begins with 62 participants
March 6 - “Neuroscience for a Healthy Filipino Brain” – 27th NIH Anniversary Conference via Zoom
March 10 - Prescription for Play Series 22 opens with 80 participants
April 10 - Bakakeng Elementary School BEST Ulidan Awarding Ceremony to A Child's DREAM Foundation for an exceptional dedication and unwavering support to the development of the school’s program
June 2 - DREAM Prescription for Play (RX4) Series 23 opens with 70 participants
June 16 - Step Learning Academy Faculty Team Building: "How to Better Understand the Next Generation" with 12 participants
August 4 - DREAM Prescription for Play (Rx4) Series 24 began with 47 participants
August 16 - DREAM PlayDay with 28 participants
September 11-12, 2025 - "Creation, Nature, Environment, for a World of Peace," Dr. Francis Dimalanta, Speaker, International Seminar, Pontificia Accademia di Teologia, Vatican, Italy

2024

January 4 - New Year's Party with 57 attendees
Prescription for Play Series 16 - 20 continues*
*January - February with 83 participants
January 22 - Autism Consciousness Week Seminar for Parents & Guardians: Navigating Neurodiversity: Autism in the Workplace
January 24 - Autism Consciousness Week Seminar for SK Chairpersons: Navigating Neurodiversity: Autism in the Workplace
February 2 - Parenting Talk with 60 participants at St. Martin School
February 23 - Crocheini CSR Event: Grade 12 SLU High School students & St. Martin School students with 30 participants
*April-May with 66 participants
*June-July with 64 participants
July 13 - BDO CSR Event - Arts & Crafts with 50 participants
*August-September with 60 participants
September 24 - Biodiversity in Full Color (Exhibit) @ Enderun College
September 28 - Medical Mission at St. Martin School with 200 recipients
*October-November with 61 participants
October 3 - Project RAMP (Reading Assessment & Monitoring Project) with Center for Educational Measurement, Inc. with 110 students
October 19 - Parents' General Assembly Talk: Building Harmony at Home: Routines, Responsibilities & Emotional Management at St. Martin School with 50 participants
October 23 - CEM Forum- Elevating Education: The Power of Assessment for School Improvement
October 28-29 - Nature Play Workshop - Caroline Essame & Erica Neve with 28 participants
November 29 - Mid-Year-In-Service Training for Teachers: Being, Becoming & Belonging: Neurodivergent Learners in our Inclusive Classroom @ Bakakeng Elementary School with 29 participants
November 29 - Mid-Year-In-Service Training for Teachers: Being, Becoming & Belonging: Neurodivergent Learners in our Inclusive Classroom @ Doña Aurora H. Bueno Elementary School with 23 participants
December 27 - Christmas Party with 69 attendees

2023

January 6 - New Year's Party with 67 attendees
Prescription for Play Series 11- 15 continues
February-March with 38 participants
April-May with 33 participants
June-July with 39 participants
August-September with 44 participants
October-November with 70 participants
March 17 - Art with the Heart - Talk on Resilience at Step Learning Academy
April 12 - Sensitivity Training with UP Psychology Society to prepare them to work with special needs kids
August 30 - Northridge Academy Teacher Training
September 5-6 - Philippine Society for Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 12th Biennial Convention: Moving Forward In a Hybrid World for Children of All Abilities - Speakers
October 7 – Thanksgiving Mass, Gala Dinner, Concert & Book Launch
October 8 – Navigating the New Normal: Supporting Children with ASD thru Uncertainty & Change - I Continue to Dream & I Will Hold on to the Dream (Seminar Workshop)
October 13 – St. Martin School Faculty Training - Strategies for Teaching Exceptional Needs Children
October 20 – National Authority for Child Care @ Helping Hands Helping Hearts Ministry Training – ADHD Awareness Month
October 20 –St. Martin School Faculty Training – Developmental Play

2022

Prescription for Play Series 6-10 continues
February-March with 81 participants
April-May with 69 participants
June-July with 52 participants
August-September with 56 participants
October-November with 59 participants
Book Readings by Authors
April: A.K. Riley
June: Lana Button
July: Anitha Rao Robinson
August: Jennifer Mook Sang
September: Fr. Armand Robleza
October: Inez Bautista-Yao & Georgina Camus (illustrator)

2021

Prescription for Play SMART (Sports, Music, Art, Reading,Theater) Series 1-5 initiated
March-April with 48 participants
May-June with 69 participants
July-August with 74 participants
September-October with 69 participants
November-December with 116 participants
Pink Christmas Party with 35 families

2020

Outreach Storytelling & Art Workshop for Chosen Children Foundation with 20 kids and 9 volunteers
Reading Assessment with Readpro Center for Literacy involving 10 families

2019

Parent Support Group Meeting with 14 participants
Thank God It's Fun Friday Making Crepes with Teacher Mailys
Art Work shop with 15 participants
Seminar on Speech Disorder, Autism, and ADHD (Benguet State University) with 180 College of Teacher Education Students
Promoted Random Acts of Kindness thru the Kindness Calendar which was distributed to the Dream Team, kids, parents and families
Art WORKSHOP In Celebration of Autism Awareness Month with 19 participants
Go to Grow for Hope with 23 participants
Craft Box Making with 22 participants
Greeting Card Making with 21 participants
National Children's Book Day with 71 participants
Umawit at Maglaro Tayo sa D.R.E.A.M with 13 participants
Let's Make Pizza!!! Amare with 12 participants
National Play Advocacy Week with 13 participants
CHRISTMASK BALL with 55 participants

2018

Gardening - Nurturing Seeds of Hope by Josie Dimalanta Pangilinan with 14 participants
International Dance Day by First Allegro Dance School with 47 participants
Yoga for Kids & Parents by Olivia Yao with 11 participants
SPED Intervention by Olivia Yao with 15 individual consults and 11 follow-ups
Magic Show by Magicians Foundation, Inc. with 91 participants
Dare2DREAM Camp by CISV Quezon City & Baguio City, Musikgarten, MAGFI, First Allegro Dance School, Kawiwit Storytelling Initiative with 213 participants
Autism Works Open House with ASP National President Mona Veluz with 5 interviewees
National Children's Book Day with Ronald McDonald House of Charities, SPED-Wangal with 97 participants
KidsPlay involving Rochelle Bakisan, Kawiwit Storytelling Initiative, First Allegro Dance School, Musikgarten with 82 participants
Pizza Chef Day at Amare La Cucina with 39 participants
Functional Medicine Talk by Dr. Raymond Escalona of Life Science Institute with 29 attendees
Dream Mandala Art Workshop at The Baguio Museum with 36 participants
TheraFree with CommuniCare servicing 16 children for OT & Speech Screening
Qi Sensory Behaviour Detective & My Name is Trauma Workshops by Jon-Jon Rivero, OT (C), Certified Trauma Specialist with 83 participants
Fashion Show, Benefit Dinner & Concert at Hill Station with 107 attendees
Santa's Little Elves Christmas Party with 101 attendees

Part 2: The Core Documented Milestones (2017–2026)

Following its classic era, the foundation fully evolved its model, packaging targeted therapies into high-impact, short-term Prescription for Play cohort series to systematically target cognitive, behavioral, and sensory milestones.

2017

February: Conducted specialized multi-sensory hand coordination clinics through localized paper folding and origami art workshops.

April: Managed the interactive Pet Encounter Program, utilizing safe contact with small animals to evaluate sensory gating and empathy thresholds.

June: Rolled out targeted parent coaching circles focused on Child-Led Play and home behavioral modifications.

December: Hosted the Maui Christmas Ball with 100 attendees

2015 - 2016 (Subsidized Interventions & Care):

Ongoing: Partnered with national cultural and philanthropic groups to ensure individual clinical costs remained heavily subsidized for low-income households.

2014:

February 2014: Formally recognized internationally in Singapore, receiving the SENIA Honorary Certificate for Advocacy.

2012 - 2014 (Legislative Advocacy & International Acclaim):

Throughout 2012: Partnered with Baguio City local governance to outline, write, and push for city ordinances protecting PWD rights.

2009 - 2011 (Mainstreaming & Systems Auditing):

First Quarter: Formalized "School Readiness Evaluations" for children prepping for standard kindergarten inclusion.Mid-Year: Partnered with local IT students to develop a secure, digital internal archive database for tracking historical patient milestones.

2006 - 2008 (Kinesthetic Art & Movement):

Summer Months (Recurring): Pioneered the intensive 12-week A Child's DREAM... To Dance! ballet and movement therapy programs with University of the Philippines

Ongoing: Sponsored mandatory continuing education modules for staff; aligned clinical intakes with provincial transit routes to accommodate rural caseload shifts.

2005 (Peer Group Therapy Rollout):

January - March: Launched structured "Group Therapy Blocks" to observe peer sharing, socialization, and play milestones.

June - August: Deployed classroom integration checklists to help public educators minimize sensory triggers in traditional schools.

September - December: Hosted Overcoming Autism community seminars to train local barangay healthcare workers.

2004 (Therapeutic Routine Standardization):

First Quarter: Locked in structured weekly clinical scheduling blocks for Speech-Language, Occupational, and Physical therapies.

Mid-Year: Implemented monthly multidisciplinary team reviews where case files were cross-analyzed collectively by therapists.

Fourth Quarter: Organized the region's earliest informal parent-to-parent sharing and coping support circles.

Part 1: The Historical Foundation Era (2003-2016)

During this foundational timeline, the center operated its traditional, intensive multi-disciplinary therapeutic footprint at the Baguio Pines City Lions Club, establishing Northern Luzon's first core pediatric infrastructure.

2003 (Clinical Inception):

July - August: Completed specialized clinic infrastructure featuring custom observation rooms with one-way mirrors.

September - October: Dr. Francis Xavier Dimalanta initiated the center's first official developmental and behavioral pediatrician assessments.

November - December: Rolled out early home-program intervention models for families traveling from rural provinces

(Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan).

MILESTONES