United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona is expanding its Downtown East location on the Ability360 campus, 5025 E. Washington St., Phoenix.

With an investment of nearly $400,000 from Thunderbirds Charities and the Board of Visitors, the updated UCP mobility training clinic for children with motor disorders will increase from 1,600 square feet of usable space to more than 3,000 square feet, allowing for additional physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapy for Valley children with disabilities, according to a release.

In 2024, nearly 200 children were served in the UCP of Central Arizona Downtown East Clinic. The 2025 expansion project will allow UCP of Central Arizona to provide three times the number of hours of therapy each year and serve as many as 40 more young children with physical disabilities annually, the release stated.

The expanded space will also be home to the Artech “Baby G” Early Mobilization System. The tool supports infants and young children (less than 50 pounds) and helps them learn new motor skills such as crawling, walking, jumping and sitting, by practicing the skills repetitively while being supported in a safety harness.

UCP of Central Arizona is the first clinical facility in the United States to utilize the revolutionary Baby G equipment, according to the release.

“The Baby G technology will be life-changing for infants and children with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities,” Valerie Pieraccini, vice president of clinical operations and innovations at UCP of Central Arizona, said.

“This trailblazing tool helps fulfill UCP of Central Arizona’s mission to bring cutting-edge breakthroughs in therapy to the children and families we serve.”

For more: https://ucpofcentralaz.org/