FND Manasota 25th Anniversary Celebration Parent mentoring & support program graduate educational opportunities, advocacy, and caregiver support. We believe that children with disabilities thrive with strong and empowered families and these family members need ongoing support to reach their full potential. How do we do this? By looking at concerns that families face and the missing services in our community. Our goal is to provide support that will meet the unique needs of both families and the community. One of the ways we support families is through our in-home respite care program, Sarasota/Manatee Respite Services. Respite care provides care to not only the child with a disability but to all the siblings in the home so that parents and primary caregivers can receive a break from the demands of providing on-going care. These small breaks can make a signi��cant impact on not only the child with a disability but for every member of the family. Another form of support that we provide to families is through educational opportunities, especially in advocacy. Through our Parent Mentoring and Support Program we offer parents an opportunity to learn how to advocate for their child with a disability to have successful educational outcomes for their child. Knowledge and information can become a parent’s most powerful tool in learning how to navigate the world of disabilities and especially the special education system. Our community also needs help, especially our youngest citizens, in understanding inclusion, acceptance of differences, and bullying prevention. Two programs that deal with meeting theses needs are our More Alike Than Different and Stand Up to Bullying program that is provided to typical school age students in Manatee County. More Alike Than Different is a disability education program that uses hands-on activities for students to experience what it might feel like to have a disability. By allowing students to walk in the shoes of an individual with a disability we open a whole new world to them that addresses the need for inclusion and acceptance. Then through our Stand Up to Bullying program we address an issue that not only affects individuals with disabilities but everyone – BULLYING. Participants learn how to identify the four types of bullying, what to do when they or someone they know is being bullied, and how to prevent bullying in their school and community. At the center of our organization is helping families. We are always looking for individuals, groups, and businesses that want to become involved through volunteering, support, and involvement with our organization so that families will be successful. Together we can make a difference! To learn more about Family Network on Disabilities and the other services and programs that we offer to families of children with disabilities please visit our website at www.fndmanasota.org or you contact us at (941) 928-0682. We are all more alike than different Respite for the entire family 47
20420PC
To see the actual publication please follow the link above