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Support Grants Awarded
Funded by Family NET Works
Family NET Works support grants are grants of $1,000 or less which are awarded to support groups led by parents or individuals with disabilities. Funding may cover, but is not limited to, such things as training costs, translation of materials into different languages, oral or sign language translation, outreach activities, printing and distribution of materials, and other activities and projects that support the self-led groups.
A project of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council under a grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities 2004-05 Support Grant Overview 
Groups funded in the past include:
Anne Arundel County Chapter of the Autism Society of America This group will be developing methods and materials for assisting elementary school children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and others with Sensory Integration Dysfunction. The project team will work collaboratively with teachers, administrators and occupational therapists to develop models, methods and materials to assist children in dealing with sensory issues that impede learning and often create classroom behavior problems. For more information contact Linda Carter-Ferrier at theferriers@earthlink.net Autism Support Group - Lower Eastern Shore This is a newly formed group. Funds will be used for outreach and start-up costs. Once formed the group would like to form as an Autism Society of America Chapter. For more information contact: Lydwina Diemel (410) 860-0916. The Autistic Children's Support Group of Worcester County, Inc. This group provides parent-to-parent support through monthly meetings, a lending library, and other projects, reaching out to the Lower Eastern Shore. This grant will help purchase further materials for their lending library. For more information contact Wendy Di Buo at wdibuo@aol.com Baltimore Chesapeake Chapter of the Autism Society of America (BCC-ASA) This group offers monthly support group meetings, speakers, conferences and resources. The grant funds will be used to fund a regional training conference in October 2002, for service providers, educators, and members of the support group. For more information contact: Kim Curtis: (410) 869-7357. Email: tribecurtis@erols.com. Or contact Paige Pape (410) 825-6362. Email: bookones@yahoo.com. Chapel Forge PTO This is a Parent Teacher Organization for Chapel Forge Early Childhood Center (ECC) in Bowie, MD. Their mission is "to enhance our children's educational and developmental experiences through program enrichment, staff support and parent education." Grant funds will be used to provide training programs for teachers and parents of pre-school children. For more information contact Margarita Cardona at mcardona@comcast.net Differently Abled Families This grant is designated to this cross-disability group of families that meets recreationally and socially at the Howard County YMCA. The YMCA in Howard County would like to learn strategies on how to include children with disabilities into all of the programs offered at their site. They currently do not segregate children with disabilities and would like to continue operating in this manner. They will hold training sessions presented for their staff on 1) disability awareness 2) Details about specific disabilities: CP, Autism, and Down syndrome. Eastern Shore Down Syndrome Parent Support Group Grant funds will be used to assist this newly forming group in outreach efforts. A survey of needs will be conducted that will define the calendar of events and menu of services to families and individuals with down syndrome who live on the eastern shore. For more information contact: Kim Spotts: (443) 366-3998. Email: kdwspotts@aol.com. Families For Intensive Autism Treatment (FIAT) This grant will help fund the development and dissemination of an informational pamphlet about home based programs. Information will be sent to parents, autism professionals, pediatricians, therapists, and state and local agencies in Maryland. For more information contact: Vicki Leemon (202) 366-0836. email: VSLeemon@aol.com. Families of Children with Autism Support Group (FOCAS - Carroll County) FOCAS provides support to families of children with autism in Carroll County and those who provide services to them. This is a newly formed group, which wishes to strengthen activities and effect. Outcomes and activities include the development of a brochure, a monthly newsletter, a member directory, and support groups with targeted speakers/facilitators. Contact: Sharon Glass Families Together - National Capital Region Contact Peter J. Reynierse: (301) 330-7725 or (888-303-3277) FAX 301-990-4362 Email: FTNCR1@earthlink.net Under a support grant from Family NET Works, this organization is conducting an outreach effort to the 4,000 military families in the capital region (which included Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties). Funds have been used to print brochures and outreach using a parent to parent kind of approach. Click here for a copy of the Families Together Brochure. Family Resource Information Education Network for Down Syndrome (F.R.I.E.N.D.S.) This support group is located in Frederick County, and provides support and education to parents, families, and individuals with Down Syndrome. For more information contact: Lorena Zecher: (301) 834-6848. Email: L719zecher@aol.com. F.O.C.U.S. (For Our Children and Ourselves) This group will be using grant funds to present 8 informational workshops for students and adults who have developmental disabilities and their families. The workshops will include: Transitional Planning & The IEP Process, Advocacy & Self-Determination, Futures and Financial Planning, DDA & DORS Services, Opportunities for Self Employment & Business Ownership, and Truths & Myths About Guardianship. For more information contact Ed Worff at edsworff@comcast.net The Harford County Chapter of the Autism Society of America Grant funds will be used to assist this group in reestablishing itself as a viable and useful organization. They will provide information, supports and an active network of resources for the community. They will be; establishing a website, creating autism awareness fliers and posters, offering parent education, creating a monthly newsletter and building a lending library. For more information contact Magi Erstad-Bostwick at merstadbostwick@arcncr.org Howard County Aspergers Support Group (Howard County) Funds will be used to support the start up of a parent support group in Howard County, focusing support to parents and family members of children with Aspergers. Activities will include outreach, education, and individual and systems advocacy. A new parents packet will be developed, and a family fun night will be hosted. Contacts: Merope Pavlides Korean American Disabled People (KADPA) KADPA, a year one Family NET Works mini-grant recipient, has launched an effective outreach campaign to underserved families of individuals with disabilities in the Korean Community. Through this effort, it has become apparent that families who are not yet accepting of their child's diagnosis, or of support, require additional information, and emotional support. KADPA will use the grant funds to assist parents to form a new support group specifically targeted at newly recruited families. For more information contact: Shin Ki Kim: (410) 456-3090. Email: Swnbk@aol.com. La Hora del Café This grant will support a newly formed group of Latino parents who have special needs children. The group has monthly meetings, which are conducted in Spanish. Currently there are 15 families as members. The goals of the group are to empower families to access needed resources. Secondly, the group will conduct an outreach campaign to increase membership. For more information, contact Gloria Pedemonte: (301) 220-0203 or Zaylimar Bocanegra at the Arc of Prince George's County: (301) 925-7050. Maryland Asperger Advocacy and Support Group (Reisterstown/Statewide) This support group has been established for two years. The goals of the support group are to increase understanding, awareness, appreciation and services for individuals with Aspergers Syndrome and related disorders for families, professional, and the community-at-large. Funds will be used to cover printing and mailing costs of a promotional brochure, informational materials promoting workshops, camp programs, educational seminars, and recreation opportunities. The group hopes to outreach to families whose child has been newly diagnosed, and families who home-school their child. Contact: Gayle Blum Maryland Fragile X Resource Group Grant funds will be used for education purposes. Four (4) Maryland families with children who have Fragile X Syndrome will be supported to attend the 8th Annual International Fragile X Conference to be held in Chicago, Illinois duing July 2002. These participants would then provide information sharing/training sessions for other families with Fragile X children, educators, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other individuals who work with children with this developmental disability. Contact: Kristen Head MD SNAP of the Center for Jewish Education and The Chesapeake Down Syndrome Parent Group Inc. (CDSPG) This grant will help fund the "Sunday Speaker Series", purposefully to serve those who cannot attend Saturday workshops because of religious reasons. Topics include: Self-Advocacy, Inclusion and Social Lives. For more information contact Ellen Edinger at eedinger@cjebaltimore.org Parent to Parent of Prince George's County Network Grant funds will be used to support this mentorship initiative, which strives to train an ethnically and racially diverse core group veteran parents of children with disabilities and special health care needs to provide information, resources and support. The network will establish and implement a system for facilitating parent-to-parent matches. For more information contact Gail Johnson Anderson: (301) 925-7050. Email: parentsofpgcounty@yahoo.com. People on the Go of Maryland The grant will fund training for this self-advocacy group of individuals with developmental disabilities. The training, "Becoming Effective Leaders", will help individuals get involved in advocacy by helping them focus on the issues that are important to them. For more information contact: Phil Weintraub at plwonthego@aol.com Snickers Support Group (Eastern Shore) Snickers parent support group was created to provide support to parents of children with special health needs in the Upper Shore area. The group meets monthly at the Family Support Center in Easton, Maryland. The group is newly formed and has met twice so far. The purpose of the project funded under the support grant is to provide training to parents regarding their and their children's rights under IDEA and how to work with their school system to insure that their children receive the services they need and are entitled to under this law. Contact: Jane Hickey Teens First (Harford County) Teens First is a group of teens with and without disabilities. They are a self-advocacy group. Funds will be used to assist members to spend time and effort on speaking at conferences, forums, and in Annapolis to talk with Delegates. Some of the current issues the group self-advocacy, transitioning into adult life, community activities, transportation, employment and much more. Contact: Joy Myers |
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