Advocacy Tips for Parents

When a child has a disability, parents often learn that getting their child’s needs met requires persistence, organization, and advocacy. Advocacy is an action. A person is an advocate when they organize the work and press onward until a goal is achieved. Laws that protect the rights of students with disabilities also protect parents as Read More

Self-Care is Critical for Caregivers with Unique Challenges

Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is any activity or strategy that helps you survive and thrive in your life. Without regular self-care, it can become impossible to keep up with work, support and care for others, and manage daily activities. PAVE knows that self-care can be particularly challenging for family members caring for someone with Read More

Adolescent Health Care Act Provides Options for Families Seeking Mental Health and Substance Use Help for Young People Resistant to Treatment

A Brief Overview The Adolescent Behavioral Health Care Access Act, passed into law by the Washington Legislature in 2019, gives parents and providers more leverage in treating a young person who will not or cannot independently seek medical help for a behavioral health condition. The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) hosts website links with information about Read More

Supported Decision Making is an Option for Adults with Disabilities

A Brief Overview Full Article When a young person turns 18, most decisions are now up to them. In Washington State, age 18 is the “age of majority,” which means a person 18 or older has the right to make their own decisions about education, work, money matters, voting and more. Note: In Washington the Read More

Families Who Receive In-Home Care Services: Take Note of 2022 Changes

A Brief Overview Everyone who gets state-funded in-home care in Washington is affected by a new employment structure for Individual Providers (IPs). The Consumer Direct Care Network of Washington (CDWA) is the new Consumer Directed Employer (CDE) for all individual providers of state purchased in-home care. The CDWA website offers support in multiple ways by Read More

Bullying at School: Resources and the Rights of Students with Special Needs

A Brief Overview Full Article Students with disabilities who are bullied at school have legal protections, and schools have added responsibilities to ensure their safety and well-being. When acts of bullying involve discrimination based on disability, race, sex, or religion, federal agencies classify those acts as harassment. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Read More

Parent to Parent (P2P) Connects Caregivers Statewide for Support

A Brief Overview Parent to Parent (P2P) connects families to trained parent volunteers whose children also have disability conditions and special healthcare needs. The Arc of Washington provides a list of P2P coordinators for every county in the state.  ¿Hablas español? Para más información y hacer referidos, llama a su condado bajo: Coordinadores de Enlace Hispano. Read More

Body Sensing Meditation for Help with Sleep

Anxiety around bedtime is a struggle for many people of all ages. Whether the challenge is to fall asleep or stay asleep, worry doesn’t make getting enough zees any easier. Here is a strategy for calming that uses a body scanning strategy combined with breath awareness. Parents might share this practice out loud to help Read More

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a mandatory* Department of Defense program that helps military dependents with special needs. The Coast Guard, which operates under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security has a similar program called the Special Needs Program, or SNP. * EFMP is mandatory, primarily so a family member’s needs may Read More

Legal Resources for Highly Mobile Military Families

Military families have unique circumstances that can call for out-of-state or specialized assistance.  For example, when they move to a new duty station, they may need to find a lawyer in the state to which they are moving to help them establish a new guardianship for an adult child with disabilities. Fortunately there is an Read More

Temporary Caregivers of Military Children: Guide to Essential Information

If you are a grandparent, other relative, or family friend taking care of children while their parent or parents are deployed or on other duty, this guide to essential information is intended to offer you help and resources.  It contains useful information about military benefits that provide help with schools, medical care and supports and Read More

School Support Plans for Deployment-Tips for Parents

Why do schools need to know when a parent deploys?  Your children spend a large portion of their day in school, so teachers often notice changes or new behaviors. The value of parents and schools partnering to support military-connected children with the stressors of deployment is significant. As you know, having a parent away for Read More

Find Civilian Services for Your Child With a Disability When You Leave the Military

A guide to finding civilian supports and services when your service member separates or retires from the military if you have a child (including an adult dependent child) with disabilities. If you are PCSing to a “forever” home location, it includes resource finders available across the United States and Territories. As you read down the Read More

MIC3-School Issues Covered by the Interstate Compact

This resource gives you details about situations covered by the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (“MIC3”).  Use it to help you decide if you can apply the Compact to resolve a school issue for your child. Then you can follow the Step-by-Step Checklist to use the Compact for your child’s situation. Transferring records, Read More

MIC3 Step-by-Step Checklist-Resolve School Issues with the Interstate Compact

This resource shows you specific steps to take to resolve school issues for your child, using the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.  It gives you contact information for people who can help you for different situations covered by the Compact.  To help you decide if your child’s situation is covered by the Read More