Parent Contact update

March 2023

It's not too late:

register now for the

Visions of Community Conference

It's this Saturday!

Our partners at the Federation for Children with Special Need s (FCSN) are hard at work preparing for the annual Visions of Community Conference (VOC). This conference is virtual, and on this Saturday, March 4, 2023. It is a full day of incredible offerings that span the needs of families with children aged 0-22! Workshops are being offered in SEVEN languages.

The Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project (EIPLP) is excited to sponsor a limited number of Parent Contacts to attend this event! If you would like to attend, please email Liz.Cox@mass.gov by 2 pm on Friday, March 3rd and let her know you'd like the EIPLP registration link.

Resources & Opportunities

Registration Opening Soon for the Massachusetts Early Intervention Consortium (MEIC) Conference!

The MEIC Conference is a two-day conference. It is held every year on the first Monday and Tuesday in May. This conference is a chance for EI providers, families, and other folks who serve EI-aged children (like early childhood providers, autism service providers, and other stakeholders) to come together and learn.

This year the conference will look a little different. Monday, May 1, will have in-person workshops at the Best Western Hotel in Marlborough, MA. Tuesday, May 2, all workshops will be virtual. You can choose to register for Monday-only sessions in person, the Tuesday virtual offerings, or both!

The EIPLP sponsors Parent Contacts from every EI program to attend this conference each year. You will receive more information in the coming days about workshops & the registration process. Please keep an eye out for more information from the EI Parent Leadership Project about this conference and registering! You don't want to miss it.

Turning Three Essentials: Transitioning from EI

It happens to every family in early intervention. Eventually, your child will transition out of EI. For some families this is an exciting next step, and for others it can be an overwhelming process. The EIPLP is excited to continue our partnership with the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) to offer Turning Three Essentials to our families that are thinking about the process of transitioning out of EI.

This free virtual workshop covers the differences between EI & special education, special education eligibility, the evaluation process, preparing for meeting with the IEP team, and so much more. Join us Friday, March 3rd from1-3 for our next workshop. Registration is required to get the link. If you know families who are getting ready to take their next step after EI, please share the registration link with them!

Congratulations!

After 21 years in service to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Suzanne Gottlieb, the Director of the Office of Family Initiatives at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, has retired.

Suzanne worked to make sure the family voice was heard by the people, organizations, and programs that serve children and youth with delays and disabilities.

If you'd like to learn more about the work she's done and hear from some of the families whose voices she lifted, you can watch her retirement video here .