A Promising Practice

There are lots of ways to support families.  FSN of NC utilizes a peer support model by pairing caregivers with lived experience of caring for a loved one with a disability or special healthcare need with others on the same journey.

A 2022 study from the Journal of Pediatrics showed peer support in support group settings “normalized parents’ emotions, decreased negative emotions (eg, anger, sadness, guilt), empowered participants in their parental role, and helped them communicate with loved ones and providers.” (Dahan et al. 2022)

Family Centered Care is at the core of what we provide because our affiliates are family members themselves.  We can laugh together, cry together, struggle together and succeed together because of the reciprocal support that makes up our model of care.

Why Family Support

• Families with children who have disabilities experience unique stressors, including increased risk of child maltreatment.
• Family support provides parents with information, emotional support, and social relationships to help them care for their children.
• Parents who participate say that they are better able to cope with the realities of raising a child who has a disability.

Outcomes Of Family Support

• Increased knowledge and understanding about the disability
• Reduced parental stress
• Informed consumers
• Parent leaders/advocates for system change
• Improved outcomes for children