New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) awards $50,000

ALBANY, NY (09/19/2008)(readMedia)--

George E. Fertal, Sr., Chairperson, today announced that on September 18, 2008 the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) awarded $50,000 each to New Alternatives for Children, Inc. (NAC) and the New York State Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc. (NYSCCC) to facilitate and enhance the development of foster and adoptive parent support systems for families parenting children with developmental disabilities.

The DDPC has been working to develop sustainable support systems for Foster and Adoptive families who parent children with developmental disabilities. Results from previous grants have shown that parents that had participated in parent and education supports developed a "peer network" and were more knowledgeable about adoption issues. They also were able to gain skills to address their children's needs and to connect with other families. To build on these earlier results, the DDPC identified several needs of foster/adoptive families that remain unmet including a lack of support services available for adoptive families, available post adoption services are time limited, and parent need for ongoing support and access to services addressing mental health and behavioral issues.

To help fulfill some of these unmet needs, NAC will expand its efforts to recruit parents and increase the number of established parent support groups. The NAC project Coordinator will continue to provide direct support and training to families and professionals on topics including disabilities and post adoption, adoption, and OMRDD eligibility etc. NAC has also established and online forum to serve as an internet based network to provide information and referral for foster and adoptive families of children with disabilities as well as caregivers and agency staff. To encourage increased use and awareness of this new resource, NAC will conduct focus groups to identify and implement strategies to increase the use of the online forum.

NYSCCC will work towards these goals by assisting the development of new foster and adoptive family support and services via mini-grants. They will also continue to implement training covering specific disability services and issues such as transition. Efforts to sustain project activities have included the establishment of the support group electronic list-servs and the "Caregiver Support NYS Wiki" web site. They are also in the process of updating a resource guide which addresses how to become an independent incorporated, parent association.

Susie Collins, Program Director at NYSCCC, describes some of the work that NYSCCC has been performing. "During 2007, NYSCCC provided $2,000 mini grant awards, training, and technical assistance to five local organizations to sponsor the development of local parent/provider support and communication networks. The five 2007 local support network grantees developed and initiated a wide variety of foster/adoptive caregiver support services including support groups, lending libraries, advocacy services, and training workshops, and social events. Through these activities, families' knowledge of and access to services in their communities was increased. Families also connected with other adoptive/foster families and developed and strengthened their skills to better meet their children's needs. Four additional organizations have been awarded 2008 mini-grants to plan and implement local support projects to benefit adoptive, foster, and kinship families in their community."

Carolyn Synol, Development Director at New Alternatives for Children, Inc. tells us about a recent success story resulting from their program. "One specific, recent success story involved helping an anxious mother decide to send her 19 year old son who has cerebral palsy and mental retardation, to camp for the first time. A home visit by NAC's Family Forum Facilitator helped her to make this decision. After the visit, she also participated in an on-line chat session where her questions about preparing for her son's first camp experience were answered. After a week at camp he returned ‘all smiles.' "

The DDPC is a federally funded state agency dedicated to designing and implementing new programs that serve New Yorkers with developmental disabilities and their families in the most effective way possible. Sixty percent of the Governor-appointed membership of the DDPC is parents and people with developmental disabilities. For more information on the DDPC, go to: www.ddpc.state.ny.us.