Supporting the life journey of children with special needs and their families is one of the key strategic directions and the development of a supportive and effective family support network is integral to achieving KidsAbility's vision.Research has told us supporting special needs can be an isolating journey and have profound impact on a family.
Population Health is grounded in prevention priorities and tells us that peer support and social support networks are critical for healthy individuals, healthy families and healthy communitiesThis message was delivered consistently by the more than 50 KidsAbility families who participated in the strategic planning process, and it is this feedback that has led to the development of the Waterloo Region Family Network (WRFN) by a number of current and former KidsAbility families. For more information go to: http://www.waterlooregionfamilynetwork.com/The WRFN, for all families with special needs children, provides a parent-to-parent support network. Thanks to funding by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Frank Cowan Family Foundation and KidsAbility Foundation, the WRFN now connects more than 240 families, supporting each other with information, shared experiences, empathy, workshops and peer support. Families have told us they need support navigating the system of services and their journey with special needs.
Service navigation is being supported by enhancing information resources available to families and parents-helping-parents. KidsAbility believes in supporting a System Navigation role within the WRFN team.
KidsAbility played a lead role in the design of a single point of access service-delivery system in Guelph-Wellington (Growing Great Kids) and is working towards that vision in Waterloo Region.
Support of the life transitions of children with special needs has been a topic of research. KidsAbility provides program support for school transitions and participates in a Community Transitions Committee which supports transitions to adult life.
- CanChild Study “Best Journey to Adulthood” 2008
- KidsAbility “Moving On” project 2009
- "Many Roads to One Place”, research by the Neuro-developmental Clinical Research Unit at McMaster University , 1996
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