I am struck by how many times during the past eighteen months that I have begun this intro by recognizing not only the ways COVID has turned our lives upside down and inside out, but also the many other difficult and sometimes horrific things that have happened since then: the senseless murders of Ahmad Aubrey and George Floyd, Hurricane Laura, untimely deaths, state scandals, multiple mass shootings, political unrest and uprisings, the great freeze of February 2021 and the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID and its effect on children.  

And now there is Hurricane Ida. Although it spared much of Mississippi, I am sure you join me in grieving for the devastation and loss of lives in Louisiana and parts of Mississippi. It seems like a drop in the bucket to once again reaffirm our commitment to standing with all of you as we face these challenges together. I wonder if those words have become hollow because they have been said so many times. But it also strikes me that perhaps the reason that those words have been said so many times is because at our most painful junctures, the most important thing is often knowing that we do not face them alone. I once again renew my and Families as Allies' commitment to standing together in difficult times.  

I realize and am grateful for the many positive things that have happened over the past eighteen months, especially new opportunities and partnerships to work together to make things better for our children. I also realize that the many good things don't undo the pain of the difficult things we face.  

We have several opportunities to stand together. Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center will present the webinar, Section 504, ADAA and Children with Disabilities or Special Health Care Needs: What Parents Need to Know on Wednesday, September 1 at noon. Families as Allies' Drop-In Family Support Hour is Thursday, September 2, from noon - one. No need to register, just click the link any time during that hour to join.  

We encourage you to attend the Zoom hearing on the Monitor in the mental health lawsuit immediately following on September 2 at 1:30 PM. The public can access the hearing by dialing 877-336-1829 and entering passcode 3608939#. Please remember to mute your phone after joining. You can listen to the hearing by dialing 877-336-1829 and entering passcode 3608939#  (please remember to mute your phone after joining). This is a great opportunity to understand how both sides in this lawsuit propose to address the needs in Mississippi's mental health system. 

We also encourage you to register for the  2021 Creating Your Own Path: Successful Transitions for Persons with Autism conference, Mississippi's Trauma Informed Virtual Conference, the National Council's Hill Day at Home and the 2021 Federation of Families' Annual Conference. Each of these events should provide chances to learn how we can stand together for each of our own children as well as how we can stand together to make the system as a whole more responsive to all of our children.  

Please check out all of the information in the Resources Section this week. I want to call your attention especially to this update that reaffirms that the educational rights of children with disabilities have not changed during COVID. If you are having issues with your child's school, feel free to call us at 601-355-0915.

- Joy