IN REMEMBRANCE OF POLLY ARANGO
The Family Voices network of family leaders and friends suffered a tremendous loss on Saturday, June 26th with the sudden, unexpected passing of our founding Executive Director, Polly Arango.


Polly is remembered as a passionate, visionary, persistent, powerful, humble, and tireless mother, advocate, mentor and friend whose belief in the power of community was exemplified in her lifetime of work for families and children.

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Family Voices & AMCHP Conference - Call for Session Proposals

The 2011 Family Voices National Conference will take place on February 12-15, 2011, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the 2011 Annual Conference of the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP). Both conferences will focus on the theme of Working Together to Improve Maternal and Child Health.

Session proposals are being sought for the Family Voices conference, the AMCHP conference, or a shared session period to reach both audiences. The AMCHP and Family Voices co-located conferences are the ideal venues to present your ideas, research, innovative programming, best practices and effective outreach strategies to MCH and other public health practitioners, family leaders, researchers, federal officials, advocates, healthcare providers and directors of state programs.

Please submit you session proposal here by August 23, 2010. You will be notified about the outcome of your submission by October 15, 2010.

August 30th Health Care Reform UPDATE 
Read the Family Voices Statement on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act here.This update includes information FV’s comment letter that was submitted, along with several partner organizations, on the Patient’s Bill of Rights regulation. Read the full August 30th Health Care Reform Implementation Update here.

All-New Family Voices Membership Program 
Family Voices invites YOU and/or your organization to become a member today!  Support our work while receiving discounts, early notification of events, inclusion in a members-only listserv, and much more. Read the complete information by downloading the membership form.  Individual members may sign up instantly and securely online!  We look forward to welcoming you as a member of Family Voices soon!

Family Voices at the White House to Commemorate the ADA
Representatives of Family Voices attended the White House celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The celebration was held on July 26 on the south lawn of the White House.  Presenters included Marlee Matlin, Nathaniel Ayers, and Patti Labelle.  Following his speech, President Obama greeted attendees, including the representatives from FV.  Pictured From left to right:  Janis Guerney, Mary Baskar, Vijay Baskar, Kelly Meissner, and Ashley Meissner

MCHB 75th Anniversary Celebration  
On Wednesday, October 20, 2010, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) will hold a special Federal/State Maternal and Child Health Partnership Meeting in Washington, DC to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Title V of the Social Security Act and in recognition of the rich history of its programs.  You may read the official invitation letter here and view the save the date flyer here.  For more information on the event, please visit www.hrsa.gov/ourstories/mchb75th/

Health Care Reform’s Impact on Children 
First Focus and Family Voices team up to make a statement about the elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions for children.  An excerpt:  “As the process moves forward and implementing regulations are adopted, we remain confident in the President's commitment to ensuring the 'pre-existing exclusion' will apply to both a child's access to a plan and his or her benefits once that child is in the plan, starting 6 months from [the date of the bill’s passage].”  Read the statement here.

2008-2009 F2F HIC Data Report and Fact Sheet Now Available
The newly-released Data Report reviews statistics on the activities of 40 Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs) from July 2008 through May 2009, along with data from the National Survey of CSHCN and other sources, to demonstrate the importance of F2F HICs in assisting families of children with special health care needs/disabilities.  This report highlights the impact of special health care needs on children, families, and programs/policies.   Poignant quotes from families and F2F staff are included to underscore the importance of F2F’s in assisting families and professionals.  The one-page fact sheet includes highlights from the lengthier Data Report.