31 for 21 (#18) Who me?

I received a wonderful phone call on Thursday. I was asked to sit on the Early Childhood Planning Region team in Lincoln! This is a really a big deal for me. As a grant funded program, we are to:

“…provide the mechanism for planning and assisting with the implementation of the Nebraska Early Intervention Act (Sections 43-2501 through 2516, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, 1943) and to serve in an ongoing advisory capacity regarding the implementation of the act in Region No. 18.”

The team is committed to the development of a process that provides family centered and family guided services to young children with disabilities and their families. To accomplish this mission, the following goals must be reached:

1. Support and enhance families' abilities to use their unique family strengths in order to access the appropriate services for their child(ren) with special needs;

2. Identify the needs of families of children with disabilities as they relate to the child's development by seeking current input from families;

3. Facilitate the development of interagency collaboration for the purpose of providing services to families of children with disabilities as they identify their needs;

4. Facilitate the development of a system for sharing information, resources, personnel and advocacy in order to provide appropriate services to families and their children.

“The Planning Region Team is an organized group of parents, advocates and representatives from school districts, agencies, educational services units, Head Start, child care, and other relevant persons or agencies responsible for assisting in the planning and implementation of the Early Development Act in each local community or region.”

Elliot has been a part of the Early Intervention process since he was a month old – and mind you, he was born at 32 weeks gestation. His team includes a wonderful group of therapists and educators.

Partners in the Early Childhood Planning Region team include: the Arc of Nebraska, Nebraska ChildFind, Fragile X Families and Associates, Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network, Lincoln Public Schools, United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska, The National Down Syndrome Society and many others all working toward the same goal. With only a handful of parent representatives, I could not be more honored to assist! Wish me luck.