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" . . . our mission is to support families and youth with special health care needs as decision makers at all levels of the health care delivery system."

Family Voices of Washington

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Family Voices Washington and Family 2 Family Advocates for Special Care Children.Welcome to Family Voices of Washington.

It is estimated that 10.2 million children in the United States have special health care needs. Like other children and youth, those with special health care needs deserve a happy, healthy childhood and youth – attending school, enjoying community events, living with their families, and worshiping with friends and neighbors – as well as the opportunity to become productive adults.

However, unlike other children and youth, ours also have challenging health conditions – physical, mental, or emotional – that can make their lives and their families’ lives more complicated. Any child or youth at any time could develop a disability or chronic health condition.

We have the latest general news, health news and educational information for special needs, updated each week or more frequently.


Recent News

  • Wellstone Fellowship for Social Justice - Applications due January 27, 2012
    Visit Families USA for full detail.


  • Project Locate - "Do you know someone prone to wandering? Visit the project website at: www.projectlocate.org or email locate@wapave.org


  • Autism Professionals and Advocates - New Program
    Families for Effective Autism Treatment has an exciting new program for teens in the South Sound. Experience Learning Project (ELP) is FEAT of Washington's model service learning program targeted at teens with high functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome. In ELP, teens work to improve their self-management and social problem-solving skills within a service learning context. Our next meeting is January 20 from 4:30-6:30 pm at Mt.Cross Lutheran Church in University Place. The group meets two Fridays a month and two Saturdays a month. The cost is of this program is very reasonable at $15 per hour for ten hours of therapy.

    Please contact Ruth Burks if you have further questions about Experience Learning Project or know of families who would like more information. She can be reached at ruthburks@featwa.org. Her phone number is (253) 232-4493. Download the ELP Brochure


    The Latest Professional Parenting News


    About Us

    The Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2F HIC) is a non-profit organization that helps families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them.  Because the health care needs of CYSHCN are chronic and complex, parents and caregivers are often challenged with finding the resources to provide and finance health care for their children. 

    F2F HIC is in a unique position to help families because parents of CYSHCN staff/run it themselves, and as parents, they have traveled through the maze of services and programs designed to help CYSHCN.  We can help families with our unique resources:

    • Staff at F2F HIC understands the issues that families face, provide advice, offer a multitude of resources, and tap into a network of other families and professionals for support and information.
       
    • Family Voices, through the National Center for Family/ Professional Partnerships, provides technical assistance, training, and connections to other F2F HICs and collaborating organizations.
       
    • We also offer individual counseling and group education on health care issues in your communities.
    • Disability specific resources.

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    Connecting Families

    Our goal is to connect families statewide to other families who are experiencing similar challenges in accessing quality services and supports for their children.

    Believing that parents are experts in their own respective journeys, the Family to Family Information Center (F2F HIC) navigator team guides our efforts in identifying service delivery shortcomings and raises awareness to state and federal policy-makers, stakeholders and “others”  that action is urgently needed. If you are a family member of an individual with special needs, or a youth/self advocate and are interested in joining this fun and important group, email Julie Finholm at jfinholm@wapave.org 

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    Health Information Center Partners

  • The Center for Children with Special Needs
  • ESIT/Early Support for Infants and Toddlers
  • Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
  • WA State Fathers Network
  • WA State Medical Home
  • WA State Parent to Parent Programs (P2P)
  • PAVE

     

    Developmental Milestones

    The Family to Family Health Information Center will be collecting information from time to time on the training and information needs of families in advocating and navigating health care systems.Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye bye" are called developmental milestones.

    Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (crawling, walking, etc.).

    Take the Developmental Milestones Quiz









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    Contact: Julie Finholm jfinholm@wapave.org or call 1-800-5-PARENT. /

    Family Voices of Washington is a program at PAVE. This website was developed with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) /Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)/ Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs (DSCSHN) through grant #H84MC09369.

    PAVE | 6316 So. 12th St. | Tacoma, WA 98465
    (253) 565-2266 | 1-800-5-PARENT | Fax: (253) 566-8052

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