May's  E-Perspective Newsletter
BIG Changes at the EIPLP 
Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project

Goodbye! And a very big Thank You to Darla Gundler! It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Darla Gundler, Director of the Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project (EIPLP) has left the EIPLP after over 20 years of service. Darla has taken her many talents, skills and passion for family engagement to the Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC) at the University of Connecticut which is a technical assistance center funded by the US Department of Education where she has become the Collaboration Coordinator working to provide resources and supports to strengthen state early childhood systems.
 
The EIPLP will miss Darla very much and wish her great success as she continues to support children and families at a national level. Please join us in wishing her heartfelt congratulations !
 
Welcome Roxanne Hoke-Chandler!  The EIPLP is very pleased to welcome Roxanne to the role of Statewide Family Engagement and Collaboration Coordinator . Roxanne brings a breadth of experience and knowledge to this new position. As the Director of Family Engagement at the Federation for Children with Special Needs, she conducted workshops for families and professional development for educators on parents' rights and options, and on promoting family engagement in their children's education. Roxanne's passion is in serving hard to reach and under served populations. Along with speaking at forums on childcare, literacy, health care disparities, and parents' rights for children with special needs, she has worked as adjunct faculty at UMass Boston in its Early Education and Care in Inclusive Settings program. Roxanne's greatest passion, however, is being a mother to her two daughters.
BIG Changes in the Bureau of Family Health & Nutrition (BFHN)
Department of Public Health (DPH)

The Bureau of Family Health & Nutrition (BFHN) is part of the Department of Public Health (DPH) that focuses on Infancy, Children, Families, Early Intervention, Nutrition, Pregnancy and Maternal Health.
 
Thank you, Ron! Ron Benham, Director of the Bureau of Family Health &  Nutrition,  r etired from his  position on February 28, 2018. 

Ron has been the Part C Coordinator, and provided leadership to the MA Early  Intervention system for over 35 years. He was a strong advocate on the national level to support adequate funding and resources for states in the implementation of Early Intervention Programs. In his role as the Bureau Director, he provided direct oversight for 4 Divisions; WIC, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs; Perinatal, Infancy and Early Childhood; and Early Intervention. 
 
Congratulations, Craig! Craig Andrade has been appointed as the new Director for the Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition. Welcome!

Craig, LATC, RN, DrPH, was formerly the Director of the Division of Health Access (DOHA) within the Bureau of Community Health and Prevention here at DPH. DOHA Programs include Adolescent Health and Youth Development, School Health Services, School-based Health Centers, the Sexual and Reproductive Health Program, the Office of Oral Health, the State Office of Rural Health and the Primary Care Workforce Center. Craig is also a founding member of the Bureau of Community Health Access & Promotion (BCHAP) Racial Equity Leadership Team. Previously, Craig was Associate Dean of Health and Wellness and Director of Student Health Services at Wheaton College in Norton, MA. He also served as a critical care and public health nurse at Boston Medical Center; as nurse manager and head athletic trainer at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA; and owner/operator of Active Health, a private health and fitness company. Craig has a doctorate in public health from Boston University and is a registered nurse, athletic trainer, strength and condition specialist, and massage therapist. His research interests include behavioral risk management and resilience-building among children, adolescents and young adults.

Congratulations, Patti! Patti Fougere, BA, MBA, CEID has become the  Acting  Director for MA Early Intervention effective February 4, 2018. 

Patti has over 20 years of experience in the field of early intervention. She is currently the Acting Director, Early Intervention at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health &  Nutrition. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations, management of compliance monitoring and technical assistance to community Early Intervention Programs throughout the Commonwealth. In this role, she develops, manages and maintains the MA Early Intervention general supervision system to ensure compliance with federal Part C IDEA and DPH Early Intervention Operational Standards to improve outcomes for children and families. She also develops and conducts in-service training, program workshops, conferences, and seminars for EI providers, families receiving services, as well as state and community groups.
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THE PARENT LEADERSHIP PROJECT
The EI Parent Leadership Project (EIPLP) strives to develop an informed parent constituency, promote leadership and lifelong advocacy skills for parents and family members, facilitate family participation to ensure that Early Intervention Services are family-centered and support EI programs to identify, train and mentor families to take on roles across the EI and Early Childhood system. The Project is a parent driven endeavor, which continually seeks family involvement and input regarding the needs of families enrolled in Early Intervention and is staffed by parents whose own children have received EI services. The Project staff consists of a Coordinator of EIPLP , a Media Coordinator , a Statewide Family Engagement and Collaboration Coordinator, a Statewide Monitoring Coordinator and a Statewide Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator.

To receive the Parent Perspective Newsletter, a free publication, published four times a year or the Parent E-Perspective published at least two times a year, by the Parent Leadership Project, call us toll-free at (877) 353-4757 and ask to be added to the PLP mailing list or email [email protected]. 
 
NEXT DEADLINE : We welcome your input and suggestions for resources and articles. The next deadline is August 30, 2018 . Please call our toll-free number (877) 353-4757 or email the newsletter editor at [email protected] .
 
The Parent Perspective newsletter is published by the Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project, through funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please contact [email protected].  
Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project | 877-355-4757 | [email protected]  | www.eiplp.org
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