There are about 180,000 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, pharmacists, 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."  

                                                                     A Family Voices 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 Minnesota e-mail network, web-site and mailings
• Promotes and supports cultural competence across all systems
• Connects families of children 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 please fill out the form below.  Let us know if you would like:

• To serve on a committee
• Training to be a serve on committee
• Receive our e-mail newsletter

FAMILY VOICES OF MINNESOTA MISSION:

Family Voices aims to achieve family-centered care for all children, youth and young adults with special health care needs and/or disabilities. Through our state and national networks, we provide patients and families tools to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among professionals, patients and families, and serve as a trusted resource on health care.

Family Voices VISION:

Every child, youth and young adult with special needs receives family-centered care

Family Voices PRINCIPLES:

Family-centered care. Because families are at the center of the lives of children and youth they must be equal partners in decision-making and all aspects of the child's and youth'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. Patient-family-centered care is based upon strong and effective patient/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 and youth 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, children and youth. Health policies and systems built on a foundation of patient-family-centered, culturally and linguistically competent care must be the standard for all patients, children and youth.

Informed families/strong communities. Like their peers, children and youth 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 health care is on the table, then patients and families should be at the table, every table, every time."

                                  James Conway, IHI