Program Spotlight

Parent to Parent Serves As a Lifeline for Families Of Children with Special Needs

Published Wednesday, November 19, 2008

When a parent first learns that their child has a disability or a special healthcare need, they are plunged into a frightening new reality of testing, diagnosis and treatment.

They may feel afraid for their child, uncertain of where to turn to for information and very alone. In Miami-Dade County, parents of children and adults with disabilities can count on Parent to Parent, an organization that was started to help families connect with other families in similar situations serving as a network of support, information and services to help these families achieve the best possible outcomes for their children. The organization was recently awarded a 2008 Excellence Award by The Children’s Trust for the important work its doing.

Parent to Parent President, Isabel Garcia and her staff with Modesto E. Abety, President and CEO of The Children's Trust, at the Champions for Children Awards Ceremony

Parents of special needs children often report feeling terribly isolated. By necessity, the families of children and adults with disabilities lead lives that are to a greater or lesser degree, different from those of society’s mainstream. The staff of Parent to Parent of Miami is all too familiar with this set of circumstances. Many of them are also parents of children with disabilities and they too have spent sleepless nights worrying about their children and about how to find the proper care and services for them. The mission of Parent to Parent is to empower and support a network of parents of children and adults with disabilities so that all families can have universal access to information, training, support and advocacy skills to ensure their children achieve their full potential.

“Parent to Parent of Miami started by serving 400 families a year and within those families, the first disabilities that were served were developmental disabilities,” says Isabel Garcia, the organization’s Executive Director. “As time went by there was more and more of a need to serve other disabilities and we just couldn’t say no to the families so we became the only organization in Miami that basically serves and provides information and support to any family who calls us and says they have a child with special needs,” she adds. Today Parent to Parent of Miami serves more than five thousand families every year with the help of substantial funding from The Children’s Trust. By obtaining the information, educational training and support they need, parents of children with special needs develop confidence and are better prepared to meet the needs of their children.

According to Joel Diaz, a parent of a special needs child who often attends Parent to Parent’s seminars and educational sessions, the organization has helped him and his wife become partners with their son’s school in his education. “When we feel that something is lagging we know exactly how to get the results that we need and how to go to the right people to get those results quickly so that we don’t lose valuable time,” says Diaz. “As parents of a child with special needs we know that every day and every moment is a valuable resource that we cannot afford to waste.” Garcia agrees wholeheartedly saying that most of the families that come in contact with Parent to Parent thrive.

“This is a support system unequal to anything that any parent of a special needs child has ever experienced,” says Garcia. “Parents feel like they are not alone and that there are other men and women like them, going through similar situations, which creates an incredible connection between these families.”

Parent to Parent of Miami’s unwavering support to families of children and adults with disabilities certainly made it worthy of distinction at The Children’s Trust Champions for Children awards ceremony in November of this year. “While there are numerous programs that offer direct services to children with disabilities, it is rare to find a program like Parent to Parent that provides the emotional support and information families crave,” said Modesto E. Abety, President and CEO of The Children’s Trust. “That’s why it’s so important to honor them and increase awareness about how lucky we are to have a resource like Parent to Parent in our community.”