For almost 50 years, the Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center has been a leader in providing supportive, nurturing experiences for families with young children in the Philadelphia region.
About the Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center
The Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center offers experiential learning for parents and children 3 years old and younger. The program, based at Pennsylvania Hospital, uses the latest research in child development and parenting education to support and inform parents and enrich parent-child relationships. Our goal is to promote healthy development in infants, toddlers and their families.
The Center’s play and discussion groups are run by expert instructors who will get to know you and your child. We will help you to understand your child's personality, tailor your parenting to your child's temperament, and meet the unique challenges of each phase in your child's life.
We offer virtual and in-person classes. Learn about upcoming Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center sessions.
What to Expect at the Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center
Our classes are carefully designed for babies and toddlers from infant to 3 years old.
We provide long class sessions that allow children to explore freely, sustain attention, learn class routines, and strengthen relationships with instructors and their peers.
Parents often also build lasting friendships and to learn from each other as they find a sense of community for their new families.
Here’s what you can expect at the Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center:
- Information and support so that you can feel confident in your role as a parent.
- An understanding of typical child development so you can anticipate your child's behavior and direct it with confidence before problems arise.
- Discussions with child development professionals about your specific questions and concerns.
- Facilitated play and discussion groups that include families with children close in age.
- Quality time to interact with your child in a child-safe and developmentally stimulating play environment.
Read class descriptions and register for an upcoming session
Meet the Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center Staff
Child and Parent Center staff are master’s level clinicians with extensive training in early childhood development and parent education.
Hani C. Dressler, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC, has been a facilitator at The Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center since 2018. She earned a bachelor of science degree in communication, sciences and disorders from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in speech and hearing sciences from George Washington University. Since 2010, Dressler has been a speech pathologist within the University of Pennsylvania Health System, working with adults and newborns, specifically in the Intensive Care Nursery. She has a special interest in feeding and swallowing and recently obtained certification in lactation counseling. She and her husband are raising their young children in Philadelphia. Dressler attended The Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center when her children were born. The support, guidance and friendships she made encouraged her to join the center staff. She hopes to provide this experience to other new parents.
Gemina Gianino, EdM, has been a facilitator at Child and Parent since 2017. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Duke University and her master’s degree in education from Harvard University. Over the course of her career she has been a teacher, literacy coach, curriculum developer, and new teacher mentor. She has two children in high school in Philadelphia. Gemina works mostly with our toddler groups and enjoys creating up hands on and play based experiences through weekly themes, activities, art projects, books and songs so young children can explore, grow and create in a safe nurturing developmentally appropriate environment.
Caren Kelman, LCSW, is a maternal child health licensed clinical social worker dedicated to the development of programs and services to support postpartum women, infants, toddlers and their families. She received her bachelor's degree in human development and family studies from Penn State University and her master’s in social work from Columbia University. She has completed additional training in cognitive behavior therapy, as well as attachment-based parenting approaches including Brazelton Touchpoints and Circle of Security. Caren’s vast experience spans over 20 years across private practice, schools and hospitals, where she has provided counseling and resources to children and families with social, emotional, behavioral and learning difficulties. Caren is a volunteer peer support specialist with Postpartum Support International, a board member of the PA Association for Infant Mental Health (PA-AIMH), and currently is working toward a certification in perinatal mental health. Caren enjoys working with families adjusting to parenthood to help them improve their relationships through learning and practicing positive communication and interaction, while also gaining insight on child development and identifying new ways to cope with life stressors.
Alison Nalle has been a facilitator at the Child and Parent Center since 2005. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree from the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. Nalle worked with adolescents at The Crefeld School and with pregnant and parenting teens at Martin Luther King High School. She is a parent of three children. Nalle is interested in supporting families as they undertake the important job of raising children in a complex world. Through discussions designed to provide a better understanding of child development, she hopes to encourage parents to develop their road map for effective parenting.
Child and Parent Center Policies
Cancellation/Make-Up Policy
Group members will be notified by email or phone if it is necessary to cancel a group.
We regret that we cannot pro-rate or reimburse you for groups you are unable to attend for personal reasons. We will make every attempt to schedule a make-up session for any groups that we cancel.
Child and Parent Center's Health Policy
The Hall-Mercer Child and Parent Center believes that all infants and children should receive the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
All families who register for our program will be asked to verify that their child has been immunized according to CDC and AAP recommendations. To ensure the well-being of the children participating in our program, we also ask that all group participants carefully review and follow our Guidelines for Reducing the Incidence of Contagious Illness, which will be distributed in group. We are happy to address any questions or concerns parents may have about these policies.
During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all those attending in-person classes held indoors must adhere to CDC guidelines, including:
- Participants 2 years old and older must wear a face mask that covers their nose and mouth
- Families must maintain 6 feet of social distancing from others