When two organizations with overlapping interests decide
to join forces and collaborate on their efforts, good things
happen. Such is the hope behind the recent signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Family
Voices and the Association of Maternal and Child Health
Programs (AMCHP). From the MOU:
“The purpose of this MOU is to facilitate collaborative planning and address opportunities to work together on a variety of issues that pertain to both organizations. Both organizations will seek to facilitate and improve opportunities for collaboration between state maternal and child health programs and families. Together, both organizations will work to identify and highlight opportunities for family involvement in state MCH programs and work to create environments that promote family involvement. Expected outcomes include enhanced family involvement and information sharing between Family Voices programs and AMCHP programs at the state and national levels.”Specific activities that guide this work include:
This MOU is exciting both because of the statement that it makes concerning the value of collaborative efforts, as well as representing a great potential for future efforts that will be stronger simply because this MOU exists. Families can only stand to benefit from this partnership!
Presentations for many sessions included both national experts, such as Wendy Jones
and Vivian Jackson of the National Center for Cultural Competence, as well as
experienced family leader staff of F2F HICs who shared tried-and-true tips, tools, and advice.
A highlight of this meeting was Diana Denboba as Sista Di leading the Doo Wops in an entertaining and motivating look at
federal requirements for grant reporting including using the HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHB).
Overall, participants gave high marks to the meeting. Comments from meeting evaluations included “I really enjoyed this meeting
and found it enormously helpful. Thank you for all the hard work that went into arranging it!” and “Thank you so much! What a
great learning opportunity.”
For more information and to download meetings materials, visit the Family Voices website.
What do children in military families, foster children, quadruplets, children with
special needs, children on pueblos, and nursing babies have in common? Quite a bit
- especially in the realm of children’s health and well-being! This shared interest in
families raising healthy children was recently explored at a Bright Futures Family
and Community Meeting. Organized by Family Voices, in partnership with the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the May 28-29th, 2008, meeting was built
around the newly revised Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of
Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 3rd Edition. Participating organizations all
share a strong commitment to families as partners in children’s health care.
The meeting included highlights of the new Bright Futures Guidelines, and focused
on sharing by the participants—their children’s health care concerns, their specific
activities and projects that address these concerns, and their needs for further effort.
This meeting is seen as the first step in ongoing networking of organizations who
have similar missions and overlapping target populations. Further networking
opportunities are being explored.
SUPPORT FAMILY VOICES:
Zachary Friedland Recognized by Rhode Island Governor with State
Civic Leadership Award
Meet Zach Friedland—a recent high school
graduate who will be heading to the
University of Rhode Island in the fall where
he plans to major in music and
communications. This “typical” high school
graduate has had anything but a typical life.
Zach was born with a cardiac defect that
required multiple hospitalizations, corrective
surgeries, and medications, and now at 18 is
healthy and stable—and making a name for
himself. Rhode Island’s Secretary of State A.
Ralph Mollis recently honored Zach with one of Rhode Island’s 2008 State Civic Leadership Awards.
Two high school graduates from each high school in the state are selected each year for this honor.
Zach uses his personal medical experience as a way to advocate for the importance of excellent care
at children’s hospitals. This care is unique—it requires doctors who are specially trained not only in
specific conditions, but also in how those conditions affect a child’s growing body. Zach has
participated in two Family Advocacy Days held in Washington, DC, meeting with senators and
representatives to stress the need for this kind of care. In 2006 Zach spoke to 40-50 legislators
attending a legislative breakfast in Boston.
Zach says that having been a patient who experienced good care, he brings a unique perspective, a
totally different view of health care. He knows how much good care means to the patient, and is eager
to share his thoughts and experience.
Last summer, Zach took the initiative to contact his local congressman, 2nd District Congressman
James Langezin, whom he’d met previously, and asked about volunteering as an intern. He spent the
summer answering phone calls, responding to letters, and said that he got a “first-hand look at how
Congressmen communicate with their constituents and the thought that goes into these
communications.” He dealt with a whole range of issues including health care and the environment.
Zach encourages other teens to get involved in legislative advocacy. “It’s truly a great opportunity.
Senators and Representatives are fascinated to hear from you and it really makes a difference.”
Zach is the son of Beth Dworetzky, Project Director, Massachusetts Family-to-Family Health
Information Center, a project of Massachusetts Family Voices at the Federation for Children with
Special Needs.
Congratulations, Zach!
Javier Aceves, a pediatrician and
member of the Family Voices
Board of Directors, has been
selected as the recipient of the
2008 American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) Calvin CJ Sia
Community Pediatrics Medical
Home Leadership & Advocacy
Award which recognizes
pediatricians who have
demonstrated clinical excellence,
community action, and advocacy
for children.
Javier follows closely in the
footsteps of Dr. Sia as a physician
absolutely dedicated to assuring
that all children, including kids with
special health care needs, have a
caring, quality medical home. Dr.
Aceves runs the Family and Young
Children's Program, a familycentered,
family-friendly clinic
serving children and families from
many backgrounds in
Albuquerque, NM. He's also a
professor at the University of New
Mexico School of Medicine and is
known throughout the state as a
wonderful friend of children and
an advocate for families. Family
Voices is proud to have Javier as
part of our community!
MCHB has recently announced new state implementation integrated services grant awards for the project period 2008 – 2011. Two F2F HICs were recipients of these grants – Congratulations to Parent’s Place of Maryland and Family Ties of Nevada!! Other states receiving these awards include CO, CT, DC, MD, MI, MO, NE, NV, ND, PA, VT and WV. Strong partnerships among families and professionals are an essential component of these grants. We look forward to partnership with these grantees!
KASA - New Materials to Help Youth Develop Leadership Skills
KASA has developed 16 new materials to help empower youth to learn how to
advocate for themselves and others through better knowledge of health care,
school, work, technology, and other current issues. These materials are now
available on the KASA website. See the box on right
for a sampling of the new titles. Also added to the website are two new
poems.Check these out, along with artwork and stories created by youth at the
KASA Café section of the website.
Looking for inspiration? Jennifer Thomas, a member of the KASA National
Advisory Board, writes of her dogged pursuit to fulfill her dream of driving a
car. This story will redefine perseverance for you!
KASA can help you learn about and work with youth. These services include:
presentations and workshops, review of materials, and consultation on support
for youth organizations. Learn more about KASA’s technical assistance in their
– TA Brochure.
Annie E. Casey Foundation Releases 2008 Kids Count Data Book
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its 2008 Kids Count Data Book. Kids Count tracks ten indicators of national child health annually. Five indicators have shown improvement this year: child death rate, teen death rate, teen birth rate, high school dropout rate, and teens not in school and not working. The infant mortality rate showed no change. The remaining 4—low-birth-weight babies, children living in families where no parent has full-time year-round employment, children living in poverty, and children living in single-parent families—have gotten worse since last year. The Data Book provides state by state information and comparisons, and finds that across all indicators, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Massachusetts rank the highest in terms of child well-being, and New Mexico, Louisiana, and Mississippi rank the lowest.
The Kids Count Database website can be used to generate sophisticated reports complete with custom graphs, maps, ranked lists, and state-by-state profiles. Raw data is also available for download.
How does your state rank?
Joseph Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Parent/Family Public Policy Fellowship 2009
The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation invites parent and family leaders to apply for a one-year Public Policy Fellowship in
Washington, DC. Applicants must have outstanding leadership skills and be working towards enhancing and expanding inclusive
services for people with disabilities. The goal of the fellowship, begun by the Foundation in 1980, is to prepare emerging family
advocates for leadership in the area of public policy, both in their home state and nationally. Selected fellows live for the year in the Washington area where they actively participate in public policy development in the offices of Members of Congress, congressional committees, or federal agencies.
Former Kennedy Fellows include Family Voices Network members like Sue Badeau (PA), who said, “The fellowship changed my
life. I always loved policy work, but the fellowship helped me gain knowledge, understanding, skills and increased my passion for
this work. I made lifelong friends and felt that I made valuable contributions to the legislative process. It was one of the greatest highlights of my life!” “It's a once in a lifetime experience! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to study the legislative process up close,” said Maureen Mitchell (VA). The application deadline is August 15, 2008. Visit the foundation's website to learn more.
