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PPMD Parent Leadership Programs
Since 2005, the Parents' Place (PPMD) has conducted parent leadership development activities aimed at building the capacity of families to advocate on behalf of their own and other children and families at the local, state, and national levels to improve education, health, human services, and other policies that affect them and their families. Parent leaders programs include the Maryland Health Leaders, Families as Faculty, and the Special Education Parent Leadership Advocacy Program.
Leadership skills for parent leaders are taught in a variety of ways and always with respect to adult learning styles, including: traditional workshops, webinars, experiential learning, coaching/mentoring, and independent study. Training topics might include:
- Special education law, IEPs, and parent roles
- Navigating health care systems
- Legislative advocacy
- Communication skills
- Advocacy skills
Parent leaders who have participated in PPMD leaders programs serve many roles throughout Maryland such as hosting resource tables at community events, starting a support group, providing training and workshops to others in their community, providing individual support for parents, providing legislative testimony, and serving on local and/or statewide advisory boards. All of these roles are a vital support for families with children with disabilities and special health care needs and the communities in which they live.
Meet Sarah Wayland
 Sarah participated in PEP LEADers, PPMD's special education parent leadership advocacy program conducted in partnership with the Arc of Prince George's county in 2010. She has two children with special needs. Sarah is very actively involved in many advocacy and leadership activities in her county as well as at the state and national levels. Her latest role is supporting for families of children with disabilities by providing care coordination services and as a Relationship Development Consultant. To find out more about Sarah, click here.
Meet Angie Sittler
 Angie participated in the Maryland Health Leaders Program conducted in 2010. She is the parent of two sons with special health care needs. Angie is working as the Resource Coordinator for the Office for Genetics and People with Special Health Care Needs at DHMH providing information and resources for families throughout the state. Angie is a member of the Johns Hopkins Family Advisory Board, Secretary for Baltimore County's SECAC, and host medical students for PPMD's Family as Faculty program. Angie also serves as a volunteer EMS at her local fire station. She is currently working in partnership with EMS instructors to develop a class for EMS personnel on the child with special needs. You can reach the Children's Resource Line at 800-638-8864.
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"New Year, New Healthy Choices" Free Raffle from Family Voices
Family Voices is launching a free "New Year, New Healthy Choices" raffle for families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and/or disabilities. As the year begins, Family Voices celebrates how families of CYSHCN and/or disabilities are making choices that help their children grow up healthy, and learn how to stay healthy as they become adults.
This raffle marks the beginning of a year-long focus by Family Voices on improving health and wellness across the lifespan for all children and youth, including those with special health care needs and/or disabilities. Entries can be until January 31, 2013. Only one entry can be made for each child, but a family can enter more than one child in the raffle. To enter visit the Family Voices website.
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Easter Seals Releases Sibling Study
Easter Seals Siblings Study sheds light on the experiences of sibling caregivers as well as insight on the services and supports they need:
- 80% of survey respondents say they have a close relationship with their sibling with a disability and that this relationship enhances their life;
- Nearly 50% say their parents currently house and provide caregiving for their sibling with a disability while 14% say their sibling lives with them and another 23% say they are already the primary caregiver;
- 75% of primary caregivers say caring for their sibling is a full-time job, and 30% say they don't receive support - emotional, physical or financial help - from other friends and family;
- Of respondents expecting to take on the role of primary caregiver in the future, 80% say they are comfortable taking on this role but they are much more likely to say they are emotionally prepared than financially prepared (60% vs. 33%).
Easter Seals will use these findings to raise awareness of and advocate for the life-long services and supports families and caregivers need - working to lessen disparities and bridge the gap for people living with developmental disabilities across the country.
Easter Seals thanks MassMutual for making the study possible. To download the full report visit the Easter Seals website. |
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Poorer School Districts Have Higher Portions of Students Receiving Special Education Services
In poorer public school districts in Maryland, the percentage of students receiving special education is disproportionately higher than in wealthier districts, and has been since early 2000. It's a nationwide trend that experts say isn't necessarily a bad thing, since schools in low-income areas have few other ways to address poverty-related disadvantages that affect students' learning abilities.
About 15 percent of students in Maryland's top five poorest school districts received special education services last year, compared to about 10 percent in the five wealthiest districts, according to a Capital News Service analysis of the most recent Maryland Department of Education data. Baltimore, the second poorest district in the state according to U.S. Census data, has nearly double the percentage of students - 16 percent - in special education than Howard County, the wealthiest district, with 8.6 percent.
To read the entire article visit Southern Maryland online.
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Howard County Arts Program Receives Grants for Students with Disabilities
For the past three years, the Columbia Center for the Theatrical Arts has offered programs for special needs youth in Howard County, and now with grants from Columbia Bank and CVS/Caremark, providing theatrical outlets for those youth is a little easier.
"This is helping kids with speech therapy, with social skills," said Melissa Woodring Rosenberg, executive director of CCTA. "They're building confidence, speaking skills, eye contact, and they're learning to work as a team."
CCTA, which announced the grants in December, was founded 40 years ago and offers a wide range of theatrical programs for youth in the county and region. More than 30,000 students in the area attend CCTA's curriculum-based shows every year, 600 are in the conservatory with classes, camps and musical theater workshops, and about 35 participate in special needs programming - the Expanding Horizons: Broadway Kids and Teens program.
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Save These Dates!
January 15, 2013
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Towson, MD
January 16, 2013
9:00am - 3:00pm
Timonium, MD
January 22, 2013
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Bel Air, MD
January 24, 2013
6:30pm - 8:30pm
LaPlata, MD
February 13 - 16, 2013
San Antonio, TX
February 19, 2013
Developmental Disabilities Day in Annapolis
Check the PPMD online calendar for time, location, and registration information for these and many other training opportunities. www.calendarwiz.com/ppmd
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Maryland Parent Connections
Parent Connections is matching experienced parent mentors with parents of children who have been recently diagnosed with deafness or hearing loss. If you know someone who could benefit from support by an experienced parent, please call Cheri Dowling at (443) 277-8899.
To read more about the program, read the January issue of Baltimore's Child currently available online! |
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Free e-Book Answers Questions About Learning
Parents of children with LD are often faced with many questions. What are the warning signs of LD? How can I get my child tested? What is an IEP? NCLD has asked some of the top LD experts to respond to these questions and many more in 50 Questions About LD: An E-Book for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities. This informative resource addresses issues that directly affect your child at school, at home, and in the workplace.
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Maryland Insurance Administratiion Community Outreach
Do you have questions about insurance coverage? Do you want to know how to file a complaint against your insurance company? Are you interested in consumer education materials - including comprehensive consumer guides to automobile insurance and information on Medicare?
Maryland Insurance Administration staff is available at many community events to help consumers with insurance questions and provide information. To find out more online and view a list of upcoming events visit theMaryland Insurance Administration website. |
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Rural Assistance Center Available to Provide Health and Human Services Information
A product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Rural Initiative, the Rural Assistance Center (RAC) was established in December 2002 as a rural health and human services "information portal." RAC helps rural communities and other rural stakeholders access the full range of available programs, funding, and research that can enable them to provide quality health and human services to rural residents. The website has online resources, free toolkits and connections to state resources.
Visit the RAC website today. |
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Free eBooks from Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg offers over 40,000 free ebooks: choose among free epub books, free kindle books, download them or read them online. No registration fee is required.
All the ebooks were previously published by bona fide publishers. Great resource for students.
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