Putting kids first this holiday season

For the second straight year, Kids First, an agency that provides early-intervention and preschool special education services for children, took children’s holiday photos — free of charge.

The school is located in the rear of the Leon J. Camp Salisbury Administrative Center on The Plain Road in Westbury, and serves families with children up to age 5 as well as older children with specific needs.

The full-day session on Dec. 12 provided relief for parents who cannot take their kids to a crowded setting, such as a mall, for holiday photos. Instead, they posed with the assistance of the Kids First staff, creating a cheerful, comfortable setting,

Danielle Giannico, who lives in Westbury, brought her two children, Brayden, 5, and Parker, 3 for photos — something she said she hadn’t done in two years. “Parker normally doesn’t sit well with pictures,” she said. “He’s very comfortable here.”

Dawn Plumitallo, who founded Kids First in 1997, said the event drew double the enrollment than it did the previous year. “I think families saw the comfort level we brought here last year,” she said.

Another parent, Danielle Schurek, from Massapequa Park, who brought her son Tyler, 2, and 6-month-old daughter Ryleigh, also expressed her satisfaction. “[Tyler] usually covers his face when he takes pictures,” she said.

Photographer Rich Matarazzo lent his services for the day, snapping the holiday photos and drawing smiles from the children with a wide array of toys.

To learn more about Kids First, visit www.kidsfirstevaluation.com.