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The latest version of the Family TIES of Massachusetts Directory of Resources for Families of Children and Youth with Special Needs is now available! View online or contact the Regional Coordinators at 800-905-TIES to get your copy.
We always welcome information about more community programs, especially from families. Just fill out our Directory Add form and mail or email to the address on the top of the form. Thank you for sharing with us!
(The Directory is available in PDF format only. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™in order to view these pages. Acrobat® Reader™is available at no cost and can be downloaded by clicking here.)
Inroduction
This Directory is meant to be used only as a starting point for inquiry into community-based resources and state agencies that support families of children and youth with special needs. The inclusion of a program in this directory does not represent an endorsement by the Federation, nor does an omission represent any form of disapproval by the Federation.
Why do we do what we do? Family TIES of Massachusetts is a parent-led organization that strives to meet the information and support needs of families of children and youth with special needs, and professionals who work with them. As parents of children with special needs, we have experienced the satisfaction of our children and families when our emotional and health-related needs are met.
Parents and professionals wonder: What kinds of services exist? Who can help us? How can we cover the cost of a child’s needs? Our Regional Coordinators steer families to public agencies, community-based organizations, and support networks to address unmet needs.
Emotional support is also important to us. When parents’ emotional needs are met, they are reenergized and able to cope with the challenges of caring for their families’ needs. Regional Coordinators help parents to find local support groups and online communities, to routinely share their emotions. Our Parent-to-Parent Program offers one-to-one emotional support for parents, looking for an opportunity to just talk about their child and family. Trained volunteer parents are the core of this Program, as they help us to affirm for parents, you are not alone.
The 2011 Directory of Resources provides more than 1,000 state agencies and nonprofit community organizations identified as starting places for assistance of one kind or another…and our Regional Coordinators are familiar with additional, local resources as well. Still, we know we have not found them all! We always appreciate learning of new programs from parents and professionals – please contact us to share your favorites with us!
Special Words of Thanks: Thank you to John Sullivan, Gisel Pimentel, and Sonya Fort at the Federation for their help, as well as our funding agency, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, for sponsoring this effort and printing books for dissemination.
About the electronic version of the Directory: This version gives us the opportunity to update our resources more than once a year. The website’s downloadable PDF version allows you to print out a single page of information. Our Directory Add Form is on the website, so you can tell us about resources you love. Thanks for your assistance. Forms may be submitted by fax to the Program Director at the Federation office: 617-572-2094.
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