WYOMING INSTITUTE FOR DISABILITIES

Family to Family Newsletter: August 2026

IN THIS ISSUE:

ECHO for Families Sessions • Family Voices Leadership Certificate Program • 2026 PIC Conference • Join the WIND CAC • Resources • Telehealth Devices • Act Early Resources

Upcoming ECHO for Families Sessions

Join us for the Fall 2026 ECHO for Families series!

ECHO for Families is a community that provides opportunities for learning, advocacy, and mentorship with families that have a child with developmental disabilities, autism, or other special healthcare needs. This network allows families to receive professional support and brainstorm evidence-based solutions or share successes with other families around the state and nation.

Sessions are on Wednesdays, biweekly, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. MT via Zoom.

September 2: Understanding Health Care Transition

September 16: Knowing About Your Health Care

September 30: Leading Day-to-Day Health Care Routines

October 14: Understanding Your Legal Rights in Health Care Settings

October 28: Leading Your Health Care Visits

November 11: Planning for Moving to Adult Health Care

Visit our Website

Family Voices Leadership Certificate Program

Family Voices is now accepting applications for our free online leadership certificate programs. Whether you're a youth leader, a family member, or part of an organization looking to strengthen youth and family engagement, there's a program designed for you.

Our programs are open to:

Youth ages 14–26 with special health care needs or disabilities
Families of children and youth with special health care needs or disabilities
Teams from family-serving organizations working to build sustainable youth and family engagement

Participants will receive:

Monthly online learning and networking opportunities (Fall 2026–Summer 2027)
A certificate of completion
Access to Family Voices resources
Recommendation letters (upon request)
Opportunities for future paid engagement with Family Voices

Applications are due August 24, 2026.

Questions? Contact Hannah at hgears@familyvoices.org.

Apply Here

Mark your calendars for the 2026 PIC Annual Conference on September 19, 2026! This year’s theme, “Stronger in the Classroom and Beyond,” focuses on building student success through family engagement, educational support, and community collaboration.

This event is designed for families, educators, and community partners who are passionate about helping students thrive both in school and in life. For more details and registration information click the button below.

PIC Website

Join the Consumer Advisory Council (CAC)

The Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) is an important part of the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) at the University of Wyoming. It brings together individuals with disabilities, families, and community members to share their experiences, guide programs, and help improve access to services across the state. Through this collaboration, the CAC supports WIND’s mission to promote inclusion, independence, and full participation for people with disabilities in Wyoming.

We are looking for we are looking for new members to join, especially in northwest and central Wyoming.

To learn more about the CAC, click the button below!

Visit the CAC Website

Resources

Telehealth Devices for Families

Technology is available for Wyoming families to offset the costs of technology and data for their children's Telehealth medical appointments. Qualifying families will be provided with a Samsung tablet and 60 days of service.

Criteria for Wyoming families to participate:

• Review an online module with information about Telehealth

• Demonstrated need (child with special healthcare needs, upcoming therapy sessions and/or medical appointments that could be completed via Telehealth)

Contact Cari Glantz at cglantz@uwyo .edu for more information.

"Learn the Signs. Act Early."

The Act Early Wyoming resources page is your one-stop hub for trusted tools and information to help monitor and support your child’s growth. Here, you'll find a wide range of materials, including developmental milestone checklists, fact sheets, and booklets from the CDC's “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” campaign, and Wyoming-specific resources. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or educator, these English and Spanish-language resources can help you track your child’s (or the children you work with) progress and act early if you have concerns.

Visit our Act Early Resources Page

Wyoming Family to Family | wyof2f@uwyo.edu | 307-766-2977