Family Resource Centers - Organizations

Annotation: Disability Resources, inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established to promote and improve awareness, availability, and accessibility of information that can help people with disabilities live, learn, love, work and play independently. The organization disseminates information about books, pamphlets, magazines, newsletters, videos, databases, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, telephone hotlines, and online services that provide free, inexpensive, or hard-to-find information to help people with disabilities live independently. Targeted audiences for services and publications include libraries, disability organizations, independent living centers, rehabilitation facilities, educational institutions, and health and social service providers.

Keywords: Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Independent living

Annotation: The Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC) is a private nonprofit parent organization committed to improving the lives and education of all children, with a special emphasis on children with disabilities. ECAC upholds the right of all individuals, from all backgrounds and cultures, to an appropriate education and other needed services. The center seeks to make that right a reality by providing information, education, outreach, and support to and for families with children across the state of North Carolina. Through its Parent Training and Information Center and the Family to Family Health Information Center, ECAC offers parent-to-parent support, information packets, a referral service, parent education workshops and webinars, a lending library, and other resources and services.

Keywords: Family resource centers

Annotation: The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) is a resource designed to support organizations and programs that work with families of children and youth with disabilities. The Center offers a range of information and services on the subject of assistive and instructional technologies. The website provides access to fact sheets, presentations, monthly newsletters, online discussion and summer institute transcripts, a database of more than 3,500 organizations, a resource review database, and more. Through the site users can also access FCTD Family Information Guides as well as resources in Spanish.

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Assistive devices, Disabilities

Annotation: Family Voices aims to achieve family-centered care for children and adolescents with special health care needs. Family Voices provides families with tools to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships with professionals, and serve as trusted health care resources. Family Voices provides technical assistance, training, and connections among Family-to-Family Health Information Centers and partnering organizations. The website features health information and resources including publications, news, projects, events, and advocacy efforts.

Keywords: Parent groups, Advocacy, Children with special health care needs, Community programs, Consumer education, Family resource centers, Health insurance, Health policy, Legislation, Medicaid, Public awareness campaigns, Publications, Spanish language materials, State children', State programs, s health insurance program

Annotation: Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs) are family-staffed organizations that assist families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them. F2F HICs provide support, information, resources, and training on health itopics such as health insurance availability; early screening and intervention; the medical home, appropriate transition services for youth; and leadership and decision-making capacity for all families. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) provides the primary funding support for the centers.

Keywords: Adolescents with special health care needs, Children with special health care needs, Family resource centers

Annotation: The FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Programs provides training and technical assistance to federally funded CBCAP Programs. The Center assists in building networks, collecting data, promoting stakeholder involvement, and providing access to resources. The Web site provides access to online learning tools, print materials, a listserv, weblinks, and information on upcoming meetings and events. The Center is a participant in the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network (TTA).

Keywords: Child abuse, Child neglect, Child welfare, Community programs, Family centered services, Family resource centers, Family support programs, Parent support services, Prevention programs, State programs

Annotation: The Matrix Parent Network and Resource is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 to provide training and information to parents of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with all disabilities – physical, cognitive, emotional and learning. Matrix provides support, advice, information and referrals to families of children with special needs from birth through age 26 in the California counties of Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano. The network also provides online information by topic, print and electronic newsletters, and resources guides for online users. Matrix also serves as the Regional Parent Technical Assistance Center for Region VI, providing assistance to Parent Centers in nine western states and territories to ensure they have the information and training needed to provide quality services to families in their areas.

Keywords: Family resource centers

Annotation: The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is a national organization committed to improving the lives of those affected by learning disabilities. NCLD's mission is to promote public awareness and understanding of children and adults with learning disabilities, and to provide national leadership on their behalf, so they may achieve their potential and enjoy full participation in our society. Resources include eBooks, videos, podcasts, online expert advice, and a service locator. In addition to age-appropriate guidance, the website provides information on the warning signs of learning disabilities, social and emotional skills, children's rights, schooling, teens and transition, advocacy, and more.

Keywords: Learning disabilities

Annotation: The National Military Family Association (NMFA) advocates for improvements in the quality of military family life. The association works to educate military families concerning their rights, benefits, and services and to promote and protect the interest of military families by influencing the development and implementation of legislation and policies affecting them. NMFA produces a variety of publications including newsletters, fact sheets, news updates, position papers, and toolkits for children and youth in military families, and communities that support them.

Keywords: Families, Family resource centers, Military

Annotation: The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) is a statewide, nonprofit organization that serves families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities in Ohio, and the agencies who provide services to them. The coalition's mission is to ensure that every Ohio child with special needs receives a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment to enable that child to reach his/her highest potential. Programs are designed to help parents become informed and effective representatives for their children in all educational settings. PACER's Family-to-Family Health Information Center provides a single source of information, including resources and support, for families whose children have disabilities and complex health care needs. The coalition provides programs for Native American, African American, Hispanic/Latino, Somali and Southeast Asian communities, and many publications have been translated into Hmong, Somali and Spanish. Other programs focus on grandparents, housing, and bullying prevention. Through the Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers, PACER offers consultation and technical assistance to the over 100 parent centers across the nation funded under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Keywords: Special education, Children with special health care needs, Early Intervention, Education programs, Family resource centers, Nuvee, Ohio, Parenting, Public policies, Support groups

Annotation: The PACER Center is a parent training and information center for families of children and youth with all disabilities from birth through 21 years old. Located in Minneapolis, PACER provides information, support, workshops, and referrals to families and professionals in Minnesota and across the country. The organization sponsors conferences, produces a variety of publications (with some materials available in Spanish and Asian languages), and develops and develops specialized websites. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center provides resources designed to benefit all students, including those with disabilities.

Keywords: Assistive devices, Affective disorders, Behavior disorders, Children, Disabilities, Family resource centers, Mainstreaming, Parent education, Parenting, Parents, Special education, Supported employment, Training, Transitions, Young children

Annotation: Parent to Parent USA (P2PUSA) is a national nonprofit organization committed to promoting access, quality and leadership in parent to parent support across the country. The website highlights statewide organizations that have parent to parent support as a core program and demonstrate a commitment to implementing evidence-based P2P USA endorsed practices.

Keywords: CSHN programs, Family support services, Parent education programs, Training materials

Annotation: Parents Helping Parents (PHP) is a nonprofit, family resource center that benefits children with special needs. This includes children of all ages (birth through life) and all backgrounds who have a need for special services due to any special need, including but not limited to illness, cancer, accidents, birth defects, neurological conditions, premature birth, learning or physical disabilities, mental health issues, and attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder. PHP's mission is to help children with special needs receive the resources, love, hope, respect, health care, education, and other services they need to reach their full potential by providing them with strong families, dedicated professionals, and responsive systems to serve them. PHP provides assistive technology services through its iTech Center, hosts an online resource directory, and maintains the PHP Community Disability Library, which includes an online catalog.

Keywords: Disabilities, Children with special health care needs, Family resource centers, Health educaton, Learning disabilities, Mental disorders, Parent groups, Parents, Siblings, Spanish language materials, Support groups

Annotation: STOMP (Specialized Training of Military Parents) is a parent-directed program working to assist military families who have children with special health or education needs. STOMP works to connect families to other families; provides a voice to raise awareness of issues faced by military families of children with disabilities; assists parents and professionals in developing their own community parent education/support groups; and provides information and training about laws, regulations and resources for military families of children with disabilities. STOMP, which began in 1985, is a project of Washington PAVE, a parent organization providing support, advocacy, training and informational resources to empower all families and individuals with disabilities.

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Families, Family support, Federal programs, Parent support services, Special education