(802) 876-5315

info@vtfn.org

Greetings to our VFN Family and Community Partners.

VFN is excited to welcome Joanne Fitzgerald as our new Director of Development. Joanne (pictured here) will lead efforts to strengthen donor relationships, oversee fundraising campaigns, and support community engagement initiatives. Her work will help ensure that VFN continues to empower and support all Vermont children, youth, and families, especially those with disabilities or special health needs.

Fundraising is essential for nonprofits that support families of children with disabilities, particularly in today’s environment of uncertainty around federal funding. While government grants provide critical resources for core programs, they are often limited in scope, highly competitive, and vulnerable to policy shifts or budget cuts. Fundraising from individuals, businesses, and community partners helps bridge these gaps, ensuring that vital services continue even when federal funds are delayed or reduced.

Private contributions also give organizations the flexibility to respond quickly to families’ urgent needs, develop new initiatives, and maintain stability during uncertain times. Strong community support through fundraising not only sustains essential programs but also strengthens the network of care for families who rely on these services the most.

Joanne brings a wealth of development experience, having served as both an employee and a board member of several nonprofit organizations, where she built meaningful partnerships and advanced community-focused missions. Please join us in giving Joanne a warm welcome to VFN! We look forward to the energy, creativity, and compassion she will bring to our fundraising efforts.

From the heart,

Michelle Kessler

Executive Director

VFN 2026 Annual Conference

Save the Date!

Our VFN 2026 annual conference

"Pathways Through Change: Empowering Families at Every Stage" will be held on Tuesday, April 28th between 8:30-2:30 at the

UVM Dudley H. Davis Center.

Your 18-year-old and the IEP

When your child turns 18, they assume responsibility for all that you’ve handled so far as their parent on the IEP team. They will be responsible for attending their IEP meetings, advocating for what they need and engaging in the disagreement process if necessary. However, you can still support and help your teen navigate the special education process. You can listen to their concerns, share your experiences, help them organize their thoughts, prep for upcoming meetings and ask for necessary accommodations. You may also attend the IEP meeting to support them.

Watch Transition Tips for Families presented by VFN staff. For more information on transitioning to adult life, contact VFN Family Support at 876-5315 or info@vtfn.org or check out our Transition Toolkit for Youth with Disabilities.

Sibshops!

Tween Sibshops:

A Special Support Group for Siblings

We're excited to invite your tween to join us at Sibshops! This free recreational support group is designed for youth ages 11-15 with a sibling who has disabilities or special health needs. Sibshops honors the unique experience of having a sibling with special health needs and builds community while having fun together.

Registration is easy—complete this interest form or email Sarah at info@vtfn.org to get registered. We're excited to support our tweens!

Why Does VFN Send Surveys to Families?

Families who have contacted VFN family support consultants might receive surveys about your experience with us. We may ask you if we were helpful or if the information we shared was useful to your family. We may ask your opinion on a specific service. Why do we send you these surveys? We use family input to help improve our services. We are also required by our funders to conduct surveys and report the results. VFN receives funding from entities such as the federal and state governments as well as private and philanthropic entities. Funders need to see the impact of their dollars. Do their dollars make a difference? By responding to our surveys, you answer that question. We know families receive many surveys through email. We would greatly appreciate your filling out the next VFN survey you may see from us!



Contact VFN Family Support helpline at 876-5315 or info@vtfn.org if you need to talk to our Family Support Consultants.

Vermont Family Network offers three different family faculty opportunities. One of those opportunities is speaking on a panel and sharing your family story with students at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS).

We will have many panel opportunities in the spring semester, which includes:



• Discussions with pediatric nursing students
• Discussions with graduate physical therapy students
• Participating in a physical therapy lab
• Speaking in a Chronic Illness and Palliative Care class
• Speaking in an Autism Spectrum Disorders class

Please contact Ashley at Ashley.michaud@vtfn.org if you are interested in learning more about our family faculty program.

What does it take to volunteer as a support parent with VFN?

1. Be a parent/caregiver of a child with special health needs or a disability.
2. Be at least one year out from your child’s diagnosis.
3. Desire connection with another parent/caregiver in a comparable situation.
4. Call/text/email with another parent/caregiver up to three times.
5. Connect with one or two parents/caregivers a year – depending on requests.
6. Complete the Support Parent Training – 2-4 hours with flexibility.
7. Complete the Volunteer Support Parent Application!   

Join an upcoming Support Parent Training:

• November 13^th 12-2pm
• December 11^th 6-8pm

Trained support parents share that they receive as much as they give to other parents. Sometimes just listening can make someone’s day a little brighter. Thanks for considering!

If you have ever thought you might want to be a trained support parent, but have questions, please contact Marie at marie.fetterhoff@vtfn.org.

News From the Puppets

The Words on Our Shirts

A couple of years ago, PiE team members traded in our old black performance shirts to something a bit more colorful. These new shirts have the following words on them:



• Love
• Empathy
• Compassion
• Inclusion
• Justice
• Kindness

At the heart of everything we do is the belief that every single child we meet is deserving of each of these ideas. That each of these words represent not only a basic human right, but a basic human need. We enter each school with the mindset that, for at least 35 minutes, every student there will feel loved, seen, understood, and accepted by the puppets (and the puppeteers!).

The students respond to this. Kids who usually never participate raise their hands and share their experiences. Students who had been in conflict now have the tools to find common ground. Students who had been struggling because they were new to school are able to make friends. And of course, once you sing the Kindness song, it’s in your head forever.

These words, which denote a universal human need and experience, have become demonized and weaponized in recent times. Our puppets, with their fingerless felt hands, continue to hold on to the intrinsic values these words represent with all their might. We will continue to fight for love, empathy, compassion, inclusion, justice, and kindness. For all.

These shirts are carried by Kind Cotton, and for every purchase an inclusive book is donated to a child. If you are interested in having the puppets visit your school, or if you are interested in funding a day of programming at a school near you, please reach out to Kate at Kate.Williams@vtfn.org.

Genetics Corner

Empowering Families Through Shared Decision-Making with Doctors

When your child has a disability, medical decisions can feel overwhelming. Shared decision-making means you, your child (when possible), and the healthcare team work together to choose the best path forward.

It’s not just about doctors giving information—it’s about creating a partnership where your values, goals, and everyday experiences truly matter. In practice, families should expect:

• Clear communication and genuine collaboration.
• Your doctor to explain all options, including the potential benefits and risks, in language you can understand.
• Being comfortable asking questions and expressing concerns, no matter how small they may seem.
• Decisions should reflect not only medical facts but also your family’s unique needs—such as your child’s comfort, independence, and quality of life.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) created this infographic checklist to help families ensure they are being included in the decision making process.

Remember: you are the expert on your child, and your input shapes the best care possible. Shared decision-making helps families and providers build trust, reduce stress, and create care plans that truly fit each child’s journey.

For more information about decision making check out these resources:

• Medline Plus Article
• Courageous Parent Network Framework
• A Patient and Family Guide to Decision Making

To speak with a family support consultant on the VFN health team please call 802-876-5315 or email our helpline at info@vtfn.org.

Wellness Window

Wellness Window: Holiday Hack - Leftover Magic in Muffin Tins

Our Co-Director of Family Support-Health, Emmy Hilliard, shares her game-changing Thanksgiving leftover solution. 

It would be nice to tackle some ideas about that post-Thanksgiving fridge situation. I found this game-changer last year to support several loved ones who preferred not to have their food touching other foods —the Muffin Tin Method.

Why This Works (Especially for Our Families) Here's what I love about this approach:

• Each "muffin" becomes its own little meal - perfect for different appetites and preferences
• Kids who don't like their food touching? (Like mine) Problem solved!
• Family members can build their own cups with what they actually want
• These freeze like a dream - future you will thank current you when everything gets busy
• Portion sizes become visual and manageable (helpful for all kinds of reasons)

Mix It Up We've tried breakfast versions with stuffing and scrambled eggs, sweet potato cups with those marshmallows on top (you know the ones), and even mini pot pies with a biscuit on top. The possibilities are honestly endless.

No guilt, no waste, no "not turkey again!" - just simple, creative solutions that actually work. Because that's what we do, right? We find the ways that work for our families.

Enjoy the holidays ahead!

Free Online Workshops

November 13 at 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. "Students with Disabilities and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs"

This workshop will explore the different programs and courses offered through Career and Technical Education (CTE), and the ways that families, schools and CTE centers can collaborate to support students with disabilities who want to pursue a technical education program.

Presenter: John Spinney - Postsecondary Transition Coordinator at Vermont Agency of Education

December 2 at 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. "Residential Placements – What Should Families Know?"

Sometimes, children and youth with disabilities are placed in residential schools/placements, which can include out of state facilities. Placements could be through the school or a state agency. There is preparation before your child starts their new program, considerations during their placement and then proactive ways for schools and families to plan for children’s return back to their communities. This workshop reviews the Vermont Agency of Education’s published document which has suggestions for school teams and local agencies on collaboration through the process, keeping families and students’ needs at the forefront of every conversation.

Presenter: Alicia Hanrahan - Vermont Agency of Education’s Interagency Coordinator and Education Programs Manager

Our workshops are online using the Zoom meeting platform. 

If you are unable to attend the live presentation, you can still register and we’ll send you a link to the recording of the workshop which you can watch on your own time, unless otherwise noted. We appreciate when you register for our workshops as we need that data for our grant reporting.

Registrations are also posted under Upcoming Events on the landing page of our website. In case you missed our last series of workshops, you can find a full list on our VFN website. Check in regularly as we add more workshops to our schedule!

We save workshops on our website and YouTube channel.

Join our closed Facebook group specifically for parents of adult children

Join our closed Facebook group

for all parents

Contact our Helpline at (802) 876-5315 or info@vtfn.org