Parent Contact update

May 2023

Welcome New

Parent Contacts!

One of our favorite parts of the MEIC Conference is connecting with Parent Contacts; this year, that was especially true. It was our first time in person since 2019!

Parent Contacts are some of the first families to hear about opportunities and events for families in EI in Massachusetts. They are also the people that we will turn to first when we are looking to hear from families about their experience in EI, and their thoughts about them.

In addition to these monthly updates, Parent Contacts have access to a private Facebook group. If you want to join that group on social media, you can request that here. All Parent Contacts who submit a request are approved.

Resources & Opportunities

Emergency Preparedness for Families

Accidents, natural disasters, extreme weather... all of these can be scary situations to navigate with a child- especially if your child has a delay or disability or other needs that may make a change in routine complicated. The Emergency Medical Services for Children team is coming to help us be better prepared to handle these situations, if and when they happen. This FREE virtual training will be Friday, May 19th from 1:00-3:00pm. Advance registration is required.

Family Rights in Early Intervention

Families in early intervention (EI) have rights, and there are safeguards in place to protect them. Mary Dennehy-Colorusso, the Procedural Safeguards Coordinator at the Early Intervention Division at the Department of Public Health, will help you better understand your rights as a family receiving EI services and what to do if you have a concern or complaint. This FREE virtual training will be Wednesday, May 24th, from 1:00-3:00 pm. Advance registration is required.

Thinking About Transitioning from EI?

The Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project is excited to welcome the Federation for Children with Special Needs as they present Turning Three Essentials! This FREE virtual workshop will be presented two times in May- once in English and again in Spanish. It's never too early to start thinking about what happens AFTER early intervention, and this workshop will help prepare you if your child will be transitioning to the public school system. Please help us spread the word about this opportunity!

There is still time to complete the NCSEAM Family Survey

The Department of Public Health (DPH) surveys families receiving EI services twice per year. Not every family in EI will receive one, but you may.

Families being asked to complete the survey will receive a link to fill it out online and a personalized code. They will use their personal code to access the survey.

If a family doesn't have internet access or a way to fill out the survey online, they may fill out a paper survey and mail it in.

It is important that families that are asked to complete a survey do!

MA DPH uses this information as part of its reporting to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The survey aims to help DPH better understand what families are learning in EI and how their family has benefited from EI services.

The survey is to find out if families:

know their rights
can communicate their child's needs
feel confident helping their child develop and learn

The EIPLP has a short video explaining the survey, and how to complete it online. You can check it out here.

Please let the families in your EI program or network know that they may be asked to complete a survey and that their feedback is important!