Parent Contact update

January 2023 - Happy New Year!

This year,

share your experience

One of the things that is so special about the Massachusetts Early Intervention System is how the family perspective is woven into every part of EI programming and policy making. This is done by parents & caregivers like you sharing parts of your EI story and experience.

You can do this any way you are comfortable! Some Parent Contacts share their opinion and experience with their family's service coordinator and EI Program Director, which can help inform their specific EI programs practice. Other families may prefer writing about their experiences, and the EIPLP is always looking to share authentic family stories. Still, other families share their family perspectives on advisory boards, like the Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) or through Parent Advisory Councils (PACs).

No matter how it is done, hearing family experiences and voices makes our system better prepared to meet young children's and their families needs.

If you want to learn more about how your experience can impact the MA EI System, email Liz at Liz.Cox@mass.gov or by calling/texting her at 857-260-1740.

Resources & Opportunities

Turning Three Essentials Workshop

We are excited to continue to offer Turning Three Essentials on a quarterly basis as we roll into 2023. If you are starting to think about your child's transition from early intervention, then this FREE virtual workshop is for you! Covering everything from timelines to requirements, and understanding who does what, this workshop does an amazing job of helping prepare families for the next step in the journey. Advance registration is required.

Family TIES of Massachusetts

Family TIES of Massachusetts provides information and referral services, emotional support, and training to parents of children and youth with special needs. They are a primary source for information about Early Intervention and maintain a complete listing of Early Intervention Programs in MA.

The Family TIES Parent-to-Parent program connects parents who face similar challenges in raising their children with special needs. They believe that sharing experiences provides strength and support for each other. This program offers parents an opportunity to speak with trained volunteer support parents through a matching process following Evidence-Based and Best Practices guidelines promoted by Parent to Parent USA. As an Alliance member of P2PUSA, they can reach out to P2P programs across the country for unique match requests.

Visions Of Community Conference

Our partners at the Federation for Children with Special Needs are hard at work preparing for the annual Visions of Community Conference. This conference is being held virtually on Saturday, March 4, 2023. This is a full day of incredible offerings, that span the needs of families with children aged 0-22! Workshops are being offered in NINE languages.

Check out the Federation's website for more info on the conference, and stay tuned for how the EIPLP can support you, as a Parent Contact, to attend!

Please share these resources with your EI program and other families you know that are receiving services.

Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project | eiplp.org