CHILDREN FAMILY SERVICES » Family Support & Connections

It can be challenging when your child is struggling; you are not alone! When a parent learns their child has developmental delays or receives a diagnosis that can result in delays they may experience a wide range of feelings and emotions.  They may feel scared, sad, frustrated or angry. Parents can also experience feelings of helplessness and denial that their child has a delay.  These feelings are normal and we are here to help with resources!

Parents are not alone! There are groups and programs that can help families connect to other parents who have experienced such feelings and concerns. Below are links to some groups and programs that parents might find helpful. Please ask your Family Resources Coordinator at Boost Collaborative for more ideas or details.  They can help families make connections with local, regional, and national resources that best suit each family’s situation.

Families Together is a local program that provides support and programming for local families who have children with disabilities or developmental delays. They provide advocacy and educational opportunities as well as local events for families such as the Family Pool Night in Moscow. They are also our local Parent to Parent partner: Parent to Parent is a mentoring program for parents who have children with disabilities or developmental delays. Veteran parents are trained to be a ‘Helping Parent’ and they are assigned as a mentor for new parents of children based on similar diagnoses, ages of children, or medical needs of children.

Washington State Fathers Network (WSFN) is one of the only regional programs in all of the U.S. and Canada that provides support and education specifically for fathers of children with disabilities and delays. They recognize the importance of a father’s role in a child’s life and encourage fathers in that role. 

Quad Cities Down Syndrome Connections provides resources and supports to local families with children who have a Down syndrome diagnosis. This includes fostering connections between families, sponsoring events, and connecting families with resources that can improve the quality of life of people with Down syndrome. 

Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment (PAVE) is a non-profit organization that exists to share information and resources with people whose lives are linked to children and adults with disabilities. 

You can also visit our Facebook page for local new and upcoming events.