Winter 2003 Newsletter (Click Site Map to view older newsletters)
 
Late Winter 2003 - In this Issue:
From our Director
Board & Staff Update
Family Faculty | Family Support
Family Voices of Vermont
Partners In Care Conference Notes
Books & Beyond
Family Story: DiGiammarino's
Our Calendar | News & Note
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From Our Director...
As is the case across the nation, Vermont is experiencing some challenging financial times and services for families and children are in jeopardy.  Parent to Parent, not unlike other not-for-profit organizations, is enduring the consequences of an economic slowdown in the form of a reduction in grant funding.  We want our constituents to know that in spite of all obstacles, Parent to Parent will stay true to its mission.  Through our programs, services, and advocacy efforts, we hope to do whatever we can to minimize the effects of change within state government and its impact on families with children with special needs.

Now more than ever, we need to rely on the partnerships we’ve created with non-profit organizations and state agencies to respond in an organized and thoughtful way to the decisions that are being made at the state and federal levels.  We want to speak as a collective voice, which also means hearing from even more families to learn about their challenges and triumphs.  In an effort to educate policy makers whose decisions affect budgets, agency reorganizations, and ultimately direct services for families with children with special needs, Parent to Parent is compiling a booklet of family stories that will represent many of the issues that parents struggle with and for which ongoing support and advocacy is needed.  Family Stories will be hand delivered to agency directors and legislators this session with the hope that these leaders will turn to these and other families as they make difficult decisions that will ultimately affect the lives of children with special needs and their families.

In times of political transition and economic uncertainty, we join together and we persevere.  You have all been a part of Parent to Parent’s efforts to build a strong foundation of family support.  We challenge ourselves to be more effective and efficient.  Our bottom line is to sustain our mission and to keep striving to achieve our vision.   ©

Peace,
Nancy DiVenere
Late Winter 2003 - In this Issue:
From our Director
Board & Staff Update
Family Faculty | Family Support
Family Voices of Vermont
Partners In Care Conference Notes
Books & Beyond
Family Story: DiGiammarino's
Our Calendar | News & Note

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