Strong Families. Strong Futures. |
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Greetings and Happy New Year to our VFN Family and Friends!
As the new Executive Director of Vermont Family Network, it is my pleasure to wish you all a happy and healthy 2023! I have spent the past couple of months learning everything about this fabulous organization and all the offerings we have for children, youth, families, higher education, and community partners. I am amazed by the number and nature of high-quality supports and services we provide across this state, with a majority at no cost to those in receipt of them. Our staff are incredibly knowledgeable and bring the passion every day to the joys and challenges they encounter, whether connecting a caller to resources or brainstorming over the next Puppet production. I would also like to take the opportunity to welcome our newest staff members, Sienna Tuinei as Communications Coordinator, and Suzanne Smith as a Family Support Consultant – Mental Health. We are delighted to have you in our Family!
Family…families…I have been asked by some of our new partners representing social and racial justice organizations what do you (VFN) mean by “families”? Great question! Yet, it has brought cause for reflection. Grants and contracts we receive that support our family support and engagement work have defined it in specific terms “the term family is inclusive of all adults who interact with systems in support of their child, inclusive of biological, adoptive, and foster parents; grandparents; legal and informal guardians; and adult siblings”. We also refer to what the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines as “parents” - (A) a natural, adoptive, or foster parent of a child (unless a foster parent is prohibited by State law from serving as a parent); (B) a guardian (but not the State if the child is a ward of the State); (C) an individual acting in the place of a natural or adoptive parent (including a grandparent, stepparent, or other relative) with whom the child lives, or an individual who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare; or (D) except as used in sections 1415(b)(2) and 1439(a)(5) of this title, an individual assigned under either of those sections to be a surrogate parent. 20 U.S.C. § 1401(23); 34 C.F.R. § 300.30. We can cite the federal and state language when we have to put parameters in place for reporting purposes, but does this reflect all the families we serve as Vermont Family Network?
Families are and have been diversifying for generations and they embody characteristics far removed from the traditional, two parent unit raising children in a single dwelling. It is difficult to answer “what is family” and it is a highly subjective question to answer. In fact, the word "family" means something different to everyone. In many definitions, several modern family structures are excluded. In the coming months, our organization is going to do a deeper dive into what do we mean by family, particularly as we consider those to whom we are providing supports in various contexts and as we reflect on our commitment to inclusive outreach and practice. The concept of family is so key to Vermonters and we want to ensure we embrace and celebrate the many diverse definitions and configurations of family that comprise the Green Mountain State! We look forward to hearing from you! Tell us about your family and what it means to you!
From the heart,
Jacqui
Photo: Dr Jacqui Kelleher smiling and holding her grandson
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Save the Date!
VFN 2023 Conference - Inclusion and Wellbeing
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Our 2023 Annual Conference "Inclusion and Wellbeing" will be held on Tuesday April 11, 2023 at the UVM Davis Center from 9-4:30 p.m.
Our new Executive Director, Jacqui Kelleher, and Vermont Agency of Education guests, Betty Roy and Cassie Santo will start off our day talking about Building Inclusive Systems. We will then welcome our featured presenter, Dr. Joelle Van Lent, who will focus on the well-being and resilience of caregivers, families and helping professionals. This presentation will offer fascinating information about how we are impacted in positive ways through caring roles, as well as our risk for negative impact. Participants will learn practical strategies that can be used to buffer impact and increase the resilience of the care provider.
For the afternoon session, we will partner with UVM Center on Disability and Community Inclusion where Samuel and Dan Habib will share their new short film, My Disability Roadmap, and discuss how they have tried to build a culture of inclusion in their family, school district, and community, and plan for a full adult life as Samuel enters his 20’s.
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Registration will be available soon. Stay tuned!
Top Photo: Dr. Joelle Van Lent seated and smiling
Bottom Photo: Dan and Samuel Habib smiling while in hiking in the forest
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Family Respite Opportunity!
Vermont Respite Support Program
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Vermont Family Network (VFN) was recently awarded a grant by the Vermont Department of Children and Families - Child Development Division to assist families with respite. Respite provides short-term relief for parents or primary family caregivers to attend to their own and other family members’ health, social, or emotional needs.
There is no income eligibility, but families must have exhausted all other respite funding (ex. FSF, FMR, FFF). Respite funding will be by reimbursement. Funds may be used for planned breaks.
To be eligible, the child/youth must be 19 or younger and:
- Have a disability or special health care need, including mental health or
- Have a parent or caregiver with a disability or
- Be adopted
Don't miss this opportunity! Connect with VFN to see if your family is eligible.
Picture: A megaphone announcing Family Respite Opportunity
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Student Participation in IEP Meetings |
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Your child on an individualized education program (IEP) can choose to attend their own IEP meetings when they feel ready, no matter how old they are. They can choose to limit their participation by attending a portion of the meeting and sharing material that they have already prepared (with or without support), or they can choose to lead their own IEP meetings! Listen to this recording about student-led IEP meetings and the opportunities they provide to promote self-advocacy, student engagement, and youth leadership.
Photo: Four young adults in a line hugging each other
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Help Wanted: Support Parents for VFN’s Parent Match Program
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Who: Parents/caregivers to be an empathetic listener to other parents in similar situation
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Commitment: A typical parent match involves connecting several times over a few months * It is always OK to say “no” when you are busy and not available
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Reward: The feeling that you are not alone and that you have helped another parent in their journey, just by listening
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Qualifications: Experience parenting a child, young adult, or adult child with a special health need or disability
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Training: Part 1: Review Support Parent Training Slides (allow one hour) Part 2: Two-hour zoom gathering offered at convenient times; opportunity to review Parent Match process, practice active listening, share family stories….
We need and welcome all experiences and seek to increase our capacity of trained support parents who have navigated parenting young adults and teens with mental health needs, fostering or adopting teens, raising children who are hearing impaired or have hearing loss…honestly all parenting experiences are needed!
Did you know? Research indicates that those who consistently help other people experience less depression, greater calm, fewer pains and better health. They may even live longer.
The next Part 2 Zoom gatherings are scheduled for: January 24 from 6-8:00 pm, March 28 from 12-2:00 pm and May 23 from 6-8:00 pm.
Photo: A woman sitting on a couch, talking on her cell phone near a window.
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Restraints and Seclusions in School |
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The Vermont State Board of Education passed Rule 4500 in 2011 to ensure children are not subjected to the inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion and to promote the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports in schools. Restraint and seclusion should only be used as a last resort and under specific circumstances. Schools must follow rules and reporting requirements when they use restraints and seclusions and the staff that are responsible must be trained using approved programs. The VFN fact sheet , VFN workshop and Rule 4500 Guidance provide further information.
If you have any questions regarding your child’s behavior in school or the school’s response to behavior, please contact the VFN helpline at 802-876-5315 or info@vtfn.org.
Picture: A graphic of a classroom with rows of desks
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Happy New Year from the Puppets! December was an eventful month for the puppets. The first pilot performance of our new Sexual Abuse Awareness program debuted at Chamberlin Elementary School.
The kids had a lot of questions for the puppets, including:
- “In school, how can you handle a friend who makes you uncomfortable?”
- “This has happened in my life before. I’ve told a few people.”
- “What do you do when you say no and they don’t stop?”
- “If a friend tells you something, what should you do if you can’t tell others?”
After a long hiatus, the Friend 2 Friend (Demystifying Autism) program was performed for the Shelburne Community School. The kids had a great time with the pass-the-puppet part of the show (something we haven’t done in three years!), and the teachers loved it, too.
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“Wow! Thank you for coming today! Incredibly helpful and informative. Well done. Engaged and positive throughout.” – 3rd grade teacher.
This January, the puppets are hitting the ground running with shows in Brattleboro, Sheffield, Derby, and Barre! We are looking forward to spending time in the Puppet Mobile as we travel all over Vermont and upstate New York in the next few months.
Our spring is filling up quickly, and we have a wait-list of schools looking for funding support. If you’d like to help out a school or have inquiries about programming, please contact Karen Sharpwolf at ksharpwolf@vtfn.org.
Photo: A student holds up a puppet with a green shirt in front of their face
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Happy New Year from the Sibshops Team!
Our Sibshops Program is rolling along nicely with the addition of the Essex Teen Center for some of our activities. This space supports meaningful interactions for our group of sibs, most recently for our ever-popular cookie-decorating activity!
Sibshops are for children ages 6 to 13 who have a brother or sister with a disability or special health need. They provide an opportunity to connect, share a snack, and discuss the ups and downs of being a “sib,” all while doing fun activities.
From Get Air to MetroRock, decorating cookies to making puppets, we have planned many cool outings and activities this year - check out our Activities Description List to see what, where, and when each Sibshop will be. If you’d like to get to know your Sibshop facilitators, check out our Facilitator Bios page.
Upcoming Sibshops:
If your child wants to join us, please fill out our Sibshop Registration Form. If you are not ready to commit but want to keep a pulse on our activities and updates for the year, you can email mindy.deibler@vtfn.org to be added to our Sibshops email distribution list.
Picture: The Sibshops logo with children playing with a ball.
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The 2023 Legislative session has begun, and we're ready for it! Our Advocacy and Action Program hosted families, distributed a survey, and collaborated with partners to determine legislative priorities for this session. Check out our VFN Legislative Priorities here.
To learn more about how you can support these priorities or if you want to receive other advocacy news and information, email info@vtfn.org to join our advocacy newsletter, The Source.
Picture: A blue and green graphic saying "Advocacy"
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It’s Soup Season! Warm, nourishing, and always enough for leftovers. My favorite soup to make is Chicken Tortilla soup. With this soup, I don’t do a lot of measuring. Rather I add the ingredients in the amount that suits me at the time. Do I want extra black beans? More vegetables? Extra chicken?
First step is to prepare the shredded chicken. I prefer using my instant pot for this step. Using the sauté feature, I brown a pound and a half of chicken breast. Add enough liquid (chicken broth is good) to cover. Add dashes of cumin, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, and natural release for 5. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken. I use half of this chicken for this soup recipe and freeze the other half for the next soup.
Next, I add a couple of tablespoons of avocado or olive oil to a soup pot on the stove. When it’s hot, I add a chopped onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add chopped garlic, a chopped red or green pepper (or ½ of each), a chopped jalapeno, a couple of chopped carrots, and a stalk or two of celery. I cook these together adding a little salt and pepper. After a few minutes, add the remainder of the chicken broth, a container of Pomi chopped tomatoes (fresh or frozen tomatoes also work), a can of chopped green chilis, about 2 cups black beans (cooked yourself or canned), and frozen or fresh corn-as much as you like. Add the shredded chicken and liquid from the instant pot and finally the seasonings: cumin, oregano, garlic, a bay leaf, and smoked paprika or chili powder. Let the soup simmer for a little bit, so all the flavors have time to meld. Dish some up and top with and combo of chopped cilantro, tortilla strips (I cut corn tortillas and cook them on the stove), shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, squeezed lime wedges, and sour cream. - JW
Photo: A bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup
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We are currently seeking applicants for the following positions:
A part-time Family Support Consultant - Mental Health (Outside of Chittenden County) to provide family centered information, referrals, and assistance to families of children with special health needs, individuals, and professionals individually over the phone and in person, and through trainings and workshops. The Mental Health specialist supports families whose children are experiencing mental health or emotional behavioral issues.
A full-time, temporary Family Engagement Coordinator who will identify evidence-based approaches, practices, and activities to strengthen understanding and collaboration among stakeholders around Family Engagement efforts in each of the 11 Children’s Integrated
Services (CIS) regions in Vermont.
Picture: A blue and white graphic with words "we're hiring, join our team"
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Vermont Family Network
is now on Instagram!
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It is official! We are now on Instagram!
Use the QR code or use the link below
to give us a follow.
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Upcoming Events - Register today! |
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Upcoming Events
Join Vermont Public and Vermont Family Network as we gather to discuss strategies to build supportive communities for those with autism. With the help of clips from the PBS film In a Different Key and our panel of educators, advocates, and those living with Autism, we’ll present ways you can help. We also invite you to share your thoughts and questions throughout this interactive event. Moderated by Vermont Edition host/senior producer Connor Cyrus.
Vermont Family Network is a proud Co-Sponsor of this year's Mental Health Advocacy Day - "Mental Health Starts with YOUth!" We are looking forward to bringing a virtual component to Mental Health Advocacy Day in 2023 and hope that you will be involved. We will begin the morning with Welcome Addresses from State Leaders and a Keynote Presentation from Alexina Federhen, Miss Vermont 2022. The afternoon will be an opportunity for the community to share their mental health experiences and stories.
Free Workshops
Presenters will discuss work experiences and personal-professional development for blind and visually impaired youth. Learn about the process of referrals and applications for programs, the variety of virtual and in-person opportunities, how work experiences, retreats, residential programming, and skill-based workshops work, and how different students and abilities benefit from different options. A panel of LEAP students will also tell their own stories.
Presenters: Sarah Kirby - LEAP Program Coordinator, Hannah Peach - LEAP Virtual Program Developer, and Taya Tarr - Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with VAVBI
We invite parents and professionals to join us in learning about Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired (VABVI) services for children ages birth through high school graduation. VABVI staff includes Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI), Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialists (CATIS) for Individuals with Visually Impairments and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS). Learn about the 9 areas of the “Expanded Core Curriculum” specific to students with a visual impairment, the updated July 2022 VT AOE qualifications for a visual impairment and the variety of assessments, consultation, and direct instruction options available through VABVI.
Presenter: Stephanie Bissonette, VABVI Director of Children Services, licensed Teacher of the Visually Impaired and a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist.
If you are unable to attend, you can still register and we’ll send you a recording of the workshop which you can watch on your own time.
In case you missed our last series of workshops, you can find a full list on our VFN website. Stay tuned as we add more workshops to our fall schedule!
Photo: A mother holding her child on her lap outdoors and both are laughing
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VFN Workshop Topics/Speakers Survey
We want to hear your ideas for our upcoming online workshops. What topics interest you? Are there presenters you would recommend?
Let us know your thoughts.
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Contact Us. We Will Listen! |
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Helping Vermont Families thrive for more than 30 years |
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Office
600 Blair Park Rd, Ste 240,
Williston, VT 05495
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