Search Results: MCH Organizations

Annotation: Adopt A Special Kid (AASK) provides complete, no-fee foster and adoption services to families interested in helping children in the child welfare system. The organization was formed in 1973 on the principle that it is every child's right to be a permanent member of a supportive family. AASK's pioneering success in placing children in California lead to requests to replicate its program model, and, today, adoption programs and services developed by AASK operate in California, Arizona, Ohio and New Mexico. In addition to its programs to find families for waiting children, AASK also advocates systemic changes that will improve life opportunities for these children.

Keywords: Adoption, Advocacy, Children with special health care needs, Foster care, Model programs, Services

Annotation: ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center assists and promotes the development of quality respite and crisis care programs in the United States. The ARCH National Respite Network includes the National Respite Locator, a service to help caregivers and professionals locate respite services in their community; the National Respite Coalition, a service that advocates for preserving and promoting respite in policy and programs at the national, state, and local levels; and the Respite Technical Assistance Center, which is funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging. ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center is a project of the Chapel Hill Training-Outreach Project.

Keywords: Advocacy, Coalitions, Crisis intervention, Family support services, Information networks, Life course, Resource centers, Respite care, Special health care needs, Technical assistance

Annotation: The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH) promotes human dignity, education, and independence for people with developmental disabilities. Members include parents, administrators, teachers, medical and legal personnel, researchers, speech pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and people with disabilities. The association provides information referrals and publications; publishes a monthly newsletter and quarterly scholarly journal; and holds regional workshops, training seminars, and an annual conference. A catalog is also published.

Keywords: Developmental disabilities, Advocacy, Disabilities, Handicapping conditions, Information services, Integration, Special education, Special health care needs

Annotation: BUILD is a national initiative that helps state leaders prepare young children aged birth to five to succeed by helping their families access high quality early learning; family and parenting support; early intervention for children with special needs; and comprehensive health mental health and nutritional services. BUILD assists states in planning and implementing a comprehensive early childhood “system of systems” that crosses policy domains and helps ensure that families get the services they need. It was created in 2002 by the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative (ECFC), a consortium of private foundations.

Keywords: Child mental health, Early intervention, Families, Family support services, Infants, Young children, Special health care needs

Annotation: The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) serves as a central source of information and products for the community of Parent Training Information (PTI) Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) so that they can focus their efforts on serving families of children with disabilities. The Center also works to increase the coordination of parent training efforts throughout the network and to increase Parent Centers’ knowledge and capacity in specific domains. CPIR's online resource cover key topics, K-12 issues, early intervention/early childhood, and parent centers' 14 priorities. Users can customize their online searches by audience, format, language, and resource producer. Resources are available in English and Spanish. It is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. This center continues the work of the Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers.

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Early intervention, Family centered services, Information sources, Parenting, Resource centers, Spanish language materials, Special education

Annotation: The Child Health Specialty Clinics (CHSC) works to improve the health, development, and well-being of children and youth with special health care needs in partnership with families, service providers, and communities. CHSC's team of professionals and experienced parents provide families one-on-one problem solving and emotional support as they care for their children with special health care needs. Since children and youth with complicated health problems often need assistance from many different agencies, CHSC works to provide access to quality community-based services. CHSC provides referrals, inquiry responses, publications (including a newsletter), and reference Information. Some materials are available in Spanish.

Keywords: Home care, Child health services, Children with special health care needs, Information services, Management, Referrals, Resource materials, Service coordination, Technical assistance

Annotation: The Child Welfare Information Gateway provides information services to child welfare and related professionals and the public as the clearinghouse for the Children’s Bureau, compiling, synthesizing, and disseminating resources to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families. The Information Gateway provides access to publications, websites, and online databases covering a range of topics, including child welfare, child abuse and neglect, foster care, adoption, and the content areas for which the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network (TTA) members provide support.

Keywords: Adopted children, Adoptive parents, Biological parents, Child abuse, Child neglect, Children with special health care needs, Clearinghouses, Databases, Family violence, Information services, Information dissemination, Adoption, Injury prevention, Spanish language materials, Support groups

Annotation: Children Awaiting Parents (CAP) is a national, not-for-profit organization that recruits foster and adoptive families for special needs children who have been waiting the longest for permanent families. CAP serves older and minority children who may have mental, physical and/or emotional disabilities. Photos and narratives of waiting children are posted on the Web site and also provided in The CAP Book, a printed, national photolisting of adoptable children with special needs. The organization also provides a CAP Book CD, featuring national and state contact information, home study procedures, and adoption success stories. The Web site provides pre- and post-adoptive information for prospective parents, as well as registration and other placement assistance for caseworkers. CAP has initiated a program called Faith in Children, a special adoption recruitment campaign to reach out to the community through faith-based organizations and also served as a founding board member of Voice for Adoption, a coalition of 78 special needs adoption organizations, professionals and child welfare advocates addressing the needs of waiting children throughout the United States. In addition, CAP coordinates the Foster/Adoption Network-FAN, which recruits New York State foster and adoptive parents for children with special needs and is comprised of 18 public and private agencies in upstate New York.

Keywords: Information sources, Adoption, Adoptive parents, Affective disorders, Children with special health care needs, Family centered services, Foster care, Foster parents, Psychological needs, Recruitment

Annotation: Communities Can is a network of communities committed to ensuring comprehensive systems of services and support for children, especially children with special health care needs, and their families. Communities Can is designed to network communities to share information, skills and experiences in systems building; provide materials and resources on systems development; provide communities with a voice in national policy discussions; and recognize the achievements of communities in building successful systems for children and families. The network is funded in part by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Center for Mental Health Services, and coordinated by Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development. The organization publishes a newsletter and sponsors training seminars.

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Community programs, Family centered services

Annotation: The DC Health Resources Partnership (DCHRP) seeks to expand the community health care capacity for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in Washington, DC. Funded by the D.C. Mental Retardatrion and Developmental Disabilities Administration, the partnership is a collaboration between a number of community partners, including Georgetown University's Department of Family Medicine, DC Area Health Education Center, Inc., George Washington University Medical Center, D.C. Primary Care Association, Project Action, DC State Policy Council on Family Supports, the Arc of DC, the Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, and the DC Coalition of Service Providers. The partnership, which is administered through GU's Center for Child and Human Development, convenes expert panels (these groups meet four times annually), provides an online database of Washington-area providers, and posts information and publications for consumers and professionals on its Web site.

Keywords: Developmental disabilities, Regional programs, Collaboration, Community programs, Health care systems, Local government, Online databases, Special health care services

Annotation: Disabled and Alone/Life Services for the Handicapped is a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure the well-being of people with disabilities after their parents die. Disabled and Alone helps parents of a handicapped child plan for when they will no longer be around; provides an alternative service program if other financial arrangements can not be made; advises parents, relatives, attorneys, and financial planners about planning for a handicapped individual; and provides advocacy and oversight for handicapped individuals whose families have left funds for their care. Local nonprofit direct service organizations are enlisted as partners in this endeavor. Services offered to consumers include referrals, publications, and reference information. The organization publishes a newsletter and sponsors conferences, workshops, and training seminars.

Keywords: Estate planning, Health care financing, Children with special health care needs, Counseling, Disabilities, Financial planning, Financial support, Information services

Keywords: Special health care needs, Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Employment, Equal opportunities, Health services, Parenting, Poverty, Pregnancy, Sexuality, Violence, Women

Annotation: The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTAC) supports the implementation of the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Their mission is to strengthen service systems to ensure that children with disabilities (birth through age five) and their families receive and benefit from high quality, culturally appropriate, and family-centered supports and services. The center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. A publications list and online discussion lists are available on the Web site. The center was formerly called the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System (NECTAS).

Keywords: Early intervention, Children with special health care needs, Early childhood education, Information services, Outreach, Special education

Annotation: Family Network on Disabilities (FDN) is a national network of individuals of all ages who may be at-risk, have disabilities, or have special needs, together with their families, professionals, and concerned citizens. Their mission is to provide family-driven support, education, information, and advocacy. FDN provides online learning tools (including archived webinars), a digital library, and resources at the national library and Florida state level.

Keywords: , Special education, Advocacy, Children with special health care needs, Disabilities, Education, Florida, Information services, Parent education, Parenting, Support groups

Annotation: The Family Resource Center on Disabilities provides information, training, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities information.

Keywords: Advocacy, Children with special health care needs, Disabilities, Family support, Health services, Illinois, Special education

Annotation: Family Voices of Wisconsin promotes a system of comprehensive health and community supports based on fundamental principles that assure the health and well being of children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities and their families. The role of Family Voices of Wisconsin is to advocate for the inclusion of these principles in the design, implementation and delivery of supports and services throughout Wisconsin. Activities include supporting an active network of parents/families through our listserv, newsletter and website (www.FVofWI.org); developing information to help families stay informed about public policy issues and connect families and youth to leadership and advocacy opportunities; hosting listening sessions to hear from families about their experiences with health care and support services and share this important information with policy makers to work toward improving their systems of care; providing training to families on navigating health and community supports; promoting a "family voice" in public policy, systems change and professional education; and nurturing strong family and provider partnerships in decision making, which can improve the quality of care and services children receive.

Keywords: Advocacy, Children with special health care needs, Families, Health services delivery, Parent participation

Annotation: Mississippi's Family-to-Family Health Information and Education Center is a family-focused, family-managed resource center that empowers families of children with special health care needs to be partners in decisions concerning the health of their children. The F2F Center is a collaboration of The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies, the Children’s Medical Program of the Mississippi State Department of Health, and LIFE of Mississippi, Inc. Through project activities, the F2F Center works to enable families to be knowledgeable, comfortable and competent in addressing the Title V system with regard to their child’s unique health care needs as well as advocating for ongoing and continuous quality improvement. The Center is funded by the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Disabilities, Family centered services, MCH programs, Mississippi, State agencies

Annotation: The National Fathers Network advocates for fathers of children with special health needs through support and mentoring programs, conferences and training seminars, a newsletter, a Web page, development of curriculum, and ongoing work with professionals to enhance service delivery for all family members. Services to consumers include referrals, publications, and reference information. Some materials are available in Spanish.

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Consumer education, Family centered services, Fathers, Information sources, Parenting, Public awareness materials, Publications, Referrals, Spanish language materials, Special education

Annotation: The Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) is a nonprofit organization that provides information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities.

Keywords: Parent professional relations, Advocacy, Agent Orange, Children with special health care needs, Family support, Information services, Parent education, Young children

Annotation: The purpose of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) is to engage in advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change activities that contribute to a coordinated, consumer and family centered, consumer and family directed, comprehensive system of community services and individualized supports that enable individuals with developmental disabilities to exercise self-determination, be independent, be productive, and be integrated and included in all facets of community life.

Keywords: Advocacy, Children, Developmental disabilities, Families, Family centered services, Family support services, Florida, Infants, Special health care needs, State initiatives