Preparing for the future can be daunting for parents of children with developmental disabilities. Many parents have experienced frustration in getting the services their children need, because the system of public services has limited funding, is not always user friendly, and operates differently depending where a person lives. Many parents want to be more proactive in finding residential services for their children and also have resources to contribute to a home and supports.
However, many have found, as they confronted the countless details involved, that there was no single resource for information or assistance. The Parent Participation Manual addresses this omission. This manual is a collaborative effort between three organizations dedicated to serving those with mental retardation — North Coast Community Homes, Welcome House and Share A Vision.
Information in this manual is from several sources: interviews with families who financed a home, county boards of MR/DD, and service providers, among others. It attempts to answer the questions that parents have about housing and services. It will also raise issues that need to be considered when developing a home and supports for a person with a disability. All parents of children with disabilities face a common fear of passing away before their children. With this prospect in mind, decisions need to be made for the future welfare of the individual with disabilities.
The Parent Participation Manual will provide information about services and housing opportunities for persons with MR/DD in Northeast Ohio. It will provide insight into services available in your community. Be aware, however, that each county in the state of Ohio has its own particular approach and processes in providing residential support services to individuals with disabilities.
Using this manual will help you discover what resources are available in your specific county.
If you are a family member or guardian of a child with disabilities, this manual can give you a wealth of information about the future welfare of your child.
For purchase information, please click on the "PUBLICATIONS" section of this web site and you will find all the necessary ordering information.
The Parent Participation Manual sells for $37.50 to family members and guardians and $50 to others.
Manual Partners
All the families who will benefit from the guidance provided in this Parent Participation Manual wish to express their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the funding bodies which have made this project possible.
Government Partners- The Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
- The Geauga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
- The Lake County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
- The Medina County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
- The Stark County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
- The Higley Fund
- The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation
- Share A Vision
- Sisters of Charity Foundation
- The Billie Howland Steffee Family Fund
- West Haven Foundation For Retarded
Lori, Tess and Susan and their respective parents had known each other for a long time. The ladies went to school together and participated in many of the same activities while they were growing up.
As time went by, each of the parents faced the same concern: Who would take care of their daughters when they no longer could? That is when they heard about a pilot project begun by the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation in 1987 to encourage parents of people with developmental disabilities to start family consortium homes.
The three sets of parents formed a corporation and cooperated in developing a home for their daughters. Seventeen years later, Lori, Tess and Susan are still living together in their own home.
The Parent Participation Manual can show you what steps and
decisions are needed to create a family-developed home.
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