As we enter a new year, I want to thank each of you for your commitment to our collective work to improve the lives of children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities. Family Voices is in the final stages of approving our new strategic plan, and a portion of that plan focuses specifically on the network, how we engage, and what we offer AOs. In the coming months, our team will be sharing the strategies with you and working with you to bring these strategies to life based on your experience.
I was so excited to hear from you last month when we discussed F2F reauthorization, your needs, and how Family Voices will support this process. After the meeting, I received many calls and notes of gratitude from the network and had multiple discussions about the need for a unified approach to securing F2F reauthorization or an expansion of funds.
Your resourcefulness in building relationships with your state’s legislators is the grassroots part of the approach we will take to ensure that increased F2F funding is on the Congressional legislative agenda.
Additionally, Family Voices and Brooke Lehmann at Capital Works will collaborate with the F2Fs to develop customizable materials to support your efforts. Finally, Family Voices has hired a federal lobbying firm with significant experience in supporting health-related initiatives like the F2F funding. This is an unprecedented investment from our Board of Directors to support the legislative advocacy of the network. Altogether, we believe this approach will lead to successful reauthorization, or even increased funding, for the F2Fs.
In 2024, I look forward to sharing knowledge and resources throughout the network. We all benefit from our collective experience and wisdom. As you know, we are preparing for the virtual convening in May, which will offer many learning opportunities. Our Family Voices staff will also be presenting at multiple conferences in the near future, including AMCHP and Elevate PX in April. We hope to see you and meet your staff as we discover more ways to build our vision together.
Encourage confidence to act