seeking parenting support services

Parents with disabilities face a high risk of having their children
removed into out of home care. This happens at a level similar to child
removal for Aboriginal people.

Yet there are no real support services in Australia designed and
targeted towards parents with disabilities.

The NDIS is going to change all of that. For the first time people with
disabilities in Australia will be able to purchase the services and
supports that they need to make their lives more independent. This
includes, specifically, parenting support services, which have been
included as a specific category of supports allowed under the new
Scheme.

These services might be physical supports, or assistance with healthy
attachments, understanding what children are "saying", reminders /
memory support, planning support (ie menus, outings), day to day
activity logistics, etc. Parents with disabilities might have physical
disabilities or they may have cognitive disabilities which affect their
memory or social interpretations. Many parents with disabilities have
low or no literacy and need some back up in this area, others need
occasional outreach to help plan their parenting for the week.

The big difference for most parents with disabilities is that the
support they need may be more intensive and will be ongoing not for a
short term.

The Control & Choice Expo will bring together many products and services
so that Canberra people with disabilities can consider how they might
spend their NDIS package. The Expo will provide a single location
opportunity for the 5000 people with disabilities who will receive NDIS
packages in the ACT to have a look at what products and services are on
offer. The Expo website has details on exhibiting. Registrations close
on 16 April 2014.
http://www.advocacyforinclusion.org/index.php/control-choice-expo

Does your organisation currently work in parenting services? Have you
considered how your existing services could be modified to support the
needs of parents with disabilities? Sometimes this support might be
needed for many years. Some of the ways that this support might be
designed are mentioned in our submission to the Out of Home Care Review
http://www.advocacyforinclusion.org/images/Publications/housing/Advocacy
_for_Inclusion_Response_to_CSD_Out_of_Home_Care_Strategy_2015-2020_Dec20
13_FINAL.pdf

This is a rare opportunity to consider how you might take your service
into the future to a new group of people. Come and exhibit at the Expo
and see what parents with disabilities want. Show them what you can
offer.

You are welcome to contact the Advocacy for Inclusion office if you
would like to discuss how you might be able to extend your current work
into this new area. We'd love to see you at the Expo in May.

www.advocacyforinclusion.org <http://www.advocacyforinclusion.org/>
https://twitter.com/Adv4Inclusion <https://twitter.com/Adv4Inclusion>

Ph: 61 2 6257 4005
Fax: 61 2 6257 4006

2.02 Griffin Centre
20 Genge Street
Canberra City ACT 2601