Caregivers Count kick-off meeting

Plans for the official launch of the Caregivers Count support group are being finalized and organizers strongly encourage families with special-needs children to attend. The meeting is set for 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5 at the Hoisington Activity Center.

Any parent, guardian, grandparent or foster parent of a special-needs child birth to age 21 is welcome.

“This is going to be a wonderful opportunity to meet other families and come together for our kids,” said Briana White, chairman of the Caregivers Count Committee. “Caregivers Count will meet monthly but its members will be encouraged to reach out to one another anytime.”

The agenda includes: resource information; a meal; activities for children; and gift bags for families who attend. “We also are compiling a survey to gather information about what families would like to see happen locally for our children and topics for future meetings,” White noted. “We need input from families.”

White is a registered nurse and care coordinator for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) at the Barton County Health Department. She is also the parent of a 16-year-old son who was born with Down syndrome.

“I have spent a lot of years self-navigating and learning to meet Kadin’s needs on my own,” White said. “I would have greatly benefited from a strong support system or mentor many years ago.”

By sharing experiences with people who face “the raw and often isolating feelings that come from raising a child with a physical, emotional or intellectual disability, parents can offer one another reassurance that they are not alone.

“I want to be part of something that provides hope, comfort, advice and inspiration for families who are struggling alone,” White continued. “There will be an ongoing need for this group because, until the day every baby is born healthy, it will be vitally important for parents to be informed and connected with others in similar circumstances.”

The CSHCN program, which is supplying the gift bags for the Aug. 5 meeting, provides specialty medical services to infants, children and youth up to age 21 who have eligible medical conditions. It also serves people of all ages with metabolic or genetic conditions detected through the Newborn Screening Program.

Other Caregivers Count Committee members are: Jon Prescott, Heather Quillin and Larissa Michaelis, all of Sunflower Diversified Services; Shelly Schneider, Barton County Health Department director; Kiley Klug and Debbie McCormick, both parents of children with special needs; and Brandi Demel of Dragonfly Creative Solutions.

The impetus for forming the group came when McCormick suggested the idea to Prescott, Sunflower executive director. “I am so thankful Debbie approached Jon with her vision for this support group and that Jon shared her passion for offering help to caregivers,” White said. “With the support of a major organization such as Sunflower, we really have a chance to get things going here for families. “We are off to a wonderful start with a great group of committee members all working toward one goal – that the journey for parents and guardians be without frustration as they navigate the complexities of obtaining support and guidance. This will lead to children developing into happy, healthy and independent adults.”

Please RSVP to Briana White at 620-793-1902.