Family Voices MISSION:
Family Voices aims to achieve family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities. Through our state and national networks, we provide families tools to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among professionals and families, and serve as a trusted resource on health care.
Family Voices VISION:
Every child and youth with special needs receives family-centered care
Family Voices PRINCIPLES:
Family-centered care. Because families are at the center of a child's life, they must be equal partners in decision-making and all aspects of the child's care. Family-centered care is community-based, coordinated, culturally and linguistically competent, and guided by what is best for each child and family.
Partnerships. Family-centered care is based upon strong and effective family-professional relationships built within the context of families' and professionals' cultural values and practices to improve decision-making, enhance outcomes, and assure quality.
Quality, access, affordability and acceptability. Children with special needs deserve primary and specialty health care that is of high quality, affordable, within geographic reach and respectful of family and community culture. Health systems that work for families and children. Health policies and systems built on a foundation of family-centered, culturally and linguistically competent care must be the standard for all children.
Informed families/strong communities. Like their peers, children with special needs deserve every opportunity to enjoy a happy and healthy childhood at home in their communities. Families equipped with reliable, accurate information about ways to support their child's health, education and social development will help them grow into productive adults as defined by their personal, family and community cultural beliefs and values.
Self-advocacy/empowerment. When informed and supported, young people with disabilities can make choices and advocate for themselves.
If you are the parent of a child or youth with special health needs or disabilities, you are not alone:
There are about 180,00 children with special health care needs and/or disabilities in Minnesota.
- 20% of all Minnesota families with children have at least one child with special health care needs.
"It takes a team of people to care for our child; doctors, nurses, pharmasists, home care, and us as parents, it took my husband and I a while to understand what we brought to the team. Now we know that we have expertise and experience about our child that no one else on the team has. Our expertise needs to be valued equally with that of the professionals as we make decisions and plan care." Jack's mom
What Does Family Voices of MN Do?
- Promotes patient/family-centered care including family and youth involvement in program and policy development, implementation and evaluation
- Facilitates opportunities to enhance leadership skills for families and youth across the state
- Connects families with local, state and national committees to promote parent/professional collaboration across all systems
- Provides information through the Family Voices of MN e-mail network, web-site and mailings
- Promotes and supports cultural competence across all systems
- Connects families of chldren with special health care needs with one another
- Collaborates with health and disability organizations in Minnesota
- Collaborates and works in partnership with State agencies and organizations
If you would like additional information about Family Voices, would like to be part of the Family Voices of Minnesota network, serve on a committee or if you are a parent of a child with special health care needs and have questions, please fill out the form below and we will contact you.
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