It is with pride we congratulate Valeryia Pedersen for her new position as Southeast Regional Coordinator for the Family TIES program (Together In Enhancing Supports) at the Federation for Children with Special Needs. Val graduated in 2018 from the Family Leadership Series in the Southeast region. “Her positive attitude and supportive nature were evident throughout […]
The thoughts below were written by Roxi Harvey, an ABC and FLS alum who assumed a leadership role in the Boston SpEd PAC during COVID and recently published an article she co-wrote with Emma Fialka-Feldman. The link to the OpEd is below. What new leadership roles have you stepped into in this pandemic? What has […]
Lots has been changing with the world, and MFOFC is no exception. MFOFC recently elected new officers, and now we have a few new board members for you to meet 🎉🎉🎉 Check out their information below and read their personal bios on our Board of Directors page.
The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council is looking for a few good advocates. We are seeking individuals with developmental disabilities and family members with advocacy experience who may have an interest in serving on the Council. The Council is funded by the federal government to help people with developmental disabilities have opportunities to lead successful lives […]
Telling Your Story Workshop on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, at 6:30 pm with Charlie Fiske, Director of Public Policy at the Arc of Massachusetts Join Sue and Charlie for this workshop, which will focus on how the sharing of personal stories can lead to legislative change. Contact sue@massfamilies.org for details or connection information. Boltwood Student Civic […]
To all MFOFC members: The MFOFC Board of Directors invites you to participate in a Special Election to fill the following four positions: Co-Chairs (two positions, President & Vice-President), Treasurer, and Clerk. BACKGROUND In June the Board accepted the resignations of O.Sophia Johansson and Sandra Kinneyas Co-Chairs, Sandy Lebon as Treasurer, and Ann Berube as […]
Congratulations to Family Leadership Series graduate, Raquel Quezada, who spoke as part of the Governor’s press conference on guidance for re-opening schools on June 25, 2020. Fast forward to 25:30 to hear what Raquel had to say! Way to go Raquel 👏👏👏 We’re so proud of you and your advocacy!
Last week, DDS issued new guidance surrounding visiting individuals living in facilities. Based on this data and the feedback DDS received from families regarding their Outdoor Visitation Guidance (issued June 10, 2020), DDS has revised their Visitation Guidance. These guidelines were developed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to ensure safe visitation. Families choosing […]
Metro-Boston’s 2018 Family Leadership Graduate Bethany Van Delft recently appeared on WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston’s award-winning TV show, Chronicle. Bethany told Metro-Boston Regional Coordinator (Lauri Medeiros) that since graduating the Family Leadership Series the training: “… is with me every day and in every way. I’m so grateful to have been part of it…” You can see Bethany’s […]
Over the past several months, MFOFC explored alternatives to conventional models of long-term living arrangements for people with disabilities through the Housing Webinar Series that recently concluded. We shared stories about families who have successfully created living arrangements or housing through the process of person-centered planning for their children. Here’s what we learned. It is […]
