Advocacy

When a child is born, parents naturally recognize all the new roles that they will play as they help their child discover the world.

They think about how to educate, support, teach and create a relationship with their new child. One aspect of parenting that doesn’t always immediately come to mind is how a parent becomes a child’s advocate.

As an advocate, you become the spokesperson and champion. You speak up for your child’s rights because the child cannot. This role is one that comes quickly and is especially necessary for parents of children with special needs. To be an effective advocate, parents must educate themselves about their child’s disability, know and understand their health insurance benefits and sort through the unique and often challenging system of community health care services.

At the Achievement Centers, we recognize that this is a very difficult and often overwhelming process. In addition to grieving over the fact that your child has special needs, providing care and managing the cost of having a child with a disability, you must find your way through this complex maze of health care.

This is where our circle of care embraces the family.

We believe that making contact with other parents is one way to learn about the role of advocate. Our parent support groups can give parents an opportunity to provide mutual support and learn new strategies of communication on their child’s behalf. After all, parents are their children’s experts and know more about them than anyone else.

Being a child’s best advocate can be a challenging role, but can also be one with many rewards for those who approach it with an open, positive and hopeful mind.

For more information on Achievement Centers for Children's Family Support services, contact us at (216) 292-9700.