Circle of Friends was born from a simple but urgent realization: for many children with complex disabilities, the system designed to serve them was not working.
In traditional special education classrooms, students with significant medical and physical needs were often placed alongside peers with very different needs. While well-intentioned, these environments frequently became unsafe or ineffective. Students who required slower pacing, specialized care, and individualized attention were unintentionally overlooked.
What began as an observation quickly became a call to action. Families and educators alike began asking the same question: What if there was a better way?
“The quieter students, the ones who needed more time and support, deserved a space designed just for them.”
For many families, the moment of change came after experiencing unsafe or inadequate conditions firsthand.
In some cases, medically fragile students were placed in situations where their safety could not be guaranteed. These experiences left families feeling they had only two options: remain in a system that wasn’t meeting their child’s needs, or leave entirely and attempt to navigate care and education on their own.
One such family, led by a mother named Katie, made a different choice. After witnessing these challenges firsthand with her daughter, she decided to create something new.
Fun Fact: One of the founding families helped spark the creation of Circle of Friends after their child experienced unsafe conditions in a traditional school setting.
Circle of Friends was founded through a unique collaboration between a parent and an educator.
Katie, an entrepreneur, brought vision, resources, and the drive to build something from the ground up. Alongside her was Jenn, who remains our lead educator, a highly experienced special education professional who had spent years working directly with students with complex needs.
Together, they combined business leadership with deep educational expertise to design a program centered entirely around students who had long been underserved.
“It wasn’t just about starting a program. It was about building something that should have existed all along.”
Before becoming a school, Circle of Friends was first a community.
In the earliest days, families gathered in local parks for informal meetups. These gatherings addressed something many families had been missing: connection. For parents of children with rare or complex conditions, even within the disability community, isolation was common.
Circle of Friends created a space where families could finally meet others who understood their experiences. Thoughtful details like private changing areas and accessible setups made it possible for families to participate in ways they hadn’t been able to before.
“Families often described themselves as ‘on the outside of the outside.’ Circle of Friends changed that.”
The organization’s early programming began with camps and expanded steadily over time.
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2018–2019: Planning, research, and building the foundation
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2020: First programs launched virtually during the pandemic
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Post-2020: In-person camps and extended school year (ESY) programs
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2023: Launch of the first official student cohort
These early programs demonstrated both the need and the impact. Families showed up, stayed engaged, and asked for more.
Fast Fact: Circle of Friends’ first planned in-person program pivoted overnight to a virtual format due to COVID-19.
From the beginning, Circle of Friends made a strategic decision that set it apart.
Rather than positioning itself in opposition to public school systems, the organization chose to become a partner and resource. This approach allowed Circle of Friends to work collaboratively with school districts, creating pathways for students to access services without conflict or barriers.
This model also enabled districts to rely on Circle of Friends for specialized programming, such as summer services that were otherwise difficult to provide effectively.
“Real change happens when we work together. Partnership is how we create better outcomes for every student.”
As Circle of Friends has grown, so has its vision.
One of the organization’s defining strengths is its deep expertise in serving students with complex, medically significant needs. Recognizing that this level of specialization is rare, Circle of Friends is committed to becoming a training ground for future educators and professionals.
Through partnerships with universities and practicum opportunities, the organization is actively working to expand this knowledge beyond its walls, ensuring more students can be served well across the broader community.
“This work shouldn’t live in one place. It should grow everywhere.”
What began as a response to unmet need has grown into something much larger.
Today, Circle of Friends continues to evolve, exploring what’s possible as we expand how we support youth with disabilities and their families. From education to community connection, we are thoughtfully growing in ways that reflect the needs, hopes, and voices of the families we serve.
At our core, we remain grounded in a simple but powerful belief: every person has value.
And perhaps most importantly, every family deserves a place where they feel seen, supported, and truly belong.