EVERETT — ChildStrive is the new name of a 50-year-old agency that serves young children who have special needs.

Amy Drewel, president of the Little Red School House board of trustees, announced the name at Saturday’s Little Red School House 50th anniversary celebration at Willis Tucker Park in Snohomish. At the event, Snohomish County Executive John Lovick “helped us tell our story,” said Terry Clark, executive director of what is now ChildStrive.

The Little Red School House was started in south Snohomish County in 1963, before public special education was available for young children. Its programs were once housed in a schoolhouse.

“Early intervention has been the core of who we’ve been for 50 years. But our approach has changed so much over the years,” Clark said Tuesday. “We’re not doing center-based services. The ‘school house’ part was misleading. We were hoping to find a name that really spoke about who we are and what we do.”

With its new tagline “Little Steps to Big Possibilities,” the agency based at 14 E. Casino Road works largely through home visits. Programs include the Nurse-Family Partnership, a new Parents as Teachers effort, and other options for families with children who have developmental disabilities. A new emphasis aims to help children at risk for learning problems if they don’t receive early intervention.

The agency’s website is www.ChildStrive.com.