What's New
Have you ever felt or feel alone on your journey? Have you isolated yourself because you don’t feel like you fit in your community? Would you like to connect with other families who are on a similar journey? Do you feel lost in IEP/504 meetings? Do you want to learn how to be a more effective advocate for your child with disabilities/mental health challenges in the public school system? Would you like to be a leader in your community to change the way children/people with disabilities/mental health challenges are perceived? Do you have a desire for your community to be authentically inclusive?
If you answered yes to just one of these questions or like me and answered yes to all of them The Empowering Bridge Program was created for you!
The goal of Family First Advocacy’s Empowering Bridge Program is to partner with others in each community and school district to empower and enrich the lives of children with learning and mental health challenges and their families. We have developed a program that will not only achieve this goal but will also bridge a gap that data and personal experiences show to be a real need for this population in their school and community.
Newly added supports and services to The Empowering Bridge Program
Community Events with Mobile Sensory Museum & Foam Blaster
Our Mobile Sensory Museum & Foam Blaster creates the environment Caregivers dream of for themselves and their child, that they have dreamed about! The kind of environment where children with physical and mental health needs AND children without needs, play and explore TOGETHER!
Caregiver Reviews:
- My son has autism, and he was struggling to go into the foam. He stood alone on the edge of the foam, watching the other children having fun together. Within minutes, my son was waist-high in the foam, playing with and amongst the other children. In that moment, my son wasn’t a child with autism; he was a child having fun with other children. It was so emotional!
- I watched my daughter, who has mental health challenges, play independently with other children in the Sensory Museum, and it was wonderful to see the sheer happiness on her face. I also met one of the children’s mom (her child did not have challenges), and we had a great conversation about our children. This experience showed me how resilient my daughter is and the value of community support.
- This Community event was amazing! It was such a great opportunity to get to know other people in my community whom I wouldn’t have met otherwise. It was such a fun environment for the children and the parents. I learned so much about the struggles of children with disabilities and their parents. I walked away from the event with a better understanding of children with behavioral challenges and the hearts of their parents, to feel like they belong.
The Jordan Project
Jordan and his mom wrote a children’s book about his experiences in school as a child with several disabilities and differences. The title of the book is “If You Knew Jordan.” (https://a.co/d/0GMo2zb).
The Jordan Project is an opportunity to invite Jordan and his mom into your classroom, church, parenting groups, or any other organization to share their journey. The participants hear Jordan’s story and then get to ask Jordan questions. Participants walk away with a different perspective on people with differences. Jordan is always a hit with participants; they LOVE him!
All participants receive a copy of “If You Knew Jordan.”
Student Reviews:
- "You taught me so much! I am not afraid to play with and be friends with kids that are different anymore."
- "Mr Jordan & Ms Katrina, i learned how to communicate with other kids who cannot talk. I love you so much."
- "My brother has autism, and I learned that he isn't different he is just a little quirky, and so am I."
Adult Reviews
- Jordan and his mom shared their story at my mom’s group, and they were AMAZING! They opened my eyes to the fact that I need to do a better job of teaching my children about acceptance and inclusion. Jordan’s a special young man; so brave and funny!
- Inviting Jordan & his mom into my classroom was the best decision I have made as a teacher. They came once a week for three weeks, and I saw such a positive transformation in how students interacted with their classmates who were different from them. My students LOVED Jordan.
