Center for Family Involvement Blog
The Center for Family Involvement works with families to increase their skills as advocates, mentors, and leaders so that people with disabilities and their families can lead the lives they want.
Our blog shares snippets of the unique journeys many of us are on – from the celebrations, struggles, joys, pains, and more.
DIFFERENT KIND OF THANKFUL
We all know the poem "Welcome to Holland." As powerful as it is, we also know it's not all tulips and windmills up in this life we lead. We love our children. Our lives are different. Oftentimes it is as inexplicably hard as it is beautiful. When Thanksgiving rolls...
CAREGIVING AND PARENTING ARE NOT THE SAME
What exactly is a caregiver? We assume that parent/caregiver is interchangeable. One of the same. It’s not. A caregiver, by definition, is a family member or paid helper who REGULARLY looks after a child or a person who is sick, elderly, or disabled. All parents serve...
THE LONG GOODBYE
By Dana Yarbrough As we kick off National Caregivers Month, I thought I’d share a blog entry my father wrote four years ago about his experience as a caregiver for my mother, affectionately known as Moosie, who has lived now with Alzheimer’s Disease for about 14...
TO LOVE OR HATE DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH
The first time I ever met someone with Down syndrome was the day my son was born. It was love and heartbreak at first sight. Juxtaposition. So much of my life with Arlo is shrouded in juxtaposition, one that is only magnified by his brother and sister who came into...
FORGOTTEN IN THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
We’ve come a long way in talking about mental health in this country. According to statistics compiled by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 43.3% of adults with mental illness and 64.1% of adults with serious mental illness received treatment last year....
HOW DO YOU TEND TO ALL THE DETAILS?
Attention to detail. It's one of the skills you highlight in a job interview. It is critical in parenting as well. Do you notice how the demands of caring for a child with a disability have changed the details that you pay attention to? Confession: a friend pointed...
DON’T LET THERAPY GET IN THE WAY OF LIVING
When is it time to get off the therapy hamster wheel? From the moment our babies are diagnosed, we start thinking about therapy. One mom I know was trying to set up early intervention services while pregnant after she received a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome....
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A WILDLY POPULAR TV SHOW DOES DISABILITY?
SPOILER ALERT: Big reveals from the season 4 premiere of This is Us ahead. If you haven't started watching NBC's ratings juggernaut This is Us, now might be the time. The sappy yet happy drama rules social media chatter after every new airing. The twists and turns of...
SHOW US THE MONEY!
We know it’s not polite to talk money. But we like to keep things real here at the Center for Family Involvement. Raising a child with a disability is expensive. It doesn’t really matter what your income is. Even those making what’s considered “good money” can...
THE ANNUAL SEPTEMBER STRUGGLE
By Valerie Abbott For as long as I can remember, I've always wrestled with conflicting emotions during the last week of summer break. And the older I get, the more I struggle. The first day of school, just a few days away, will be filled with excitement: new shoes,...