I've been connected to Support for Families since my daughter, who has Down syndrome, was born over 25 years ago. Even longer, actually--knowing of the existence of SFCD helped me know, even before she was born, that my family would not be alone raising her. For the first few years, it was the parent support group that helped immensely, as well as various workshops on different topics. Then I became a parent mentor and developed relationships with other families who were new to the world of raising a child who had Down syndrome. More recently, Support for Families has helped my now-adult daughter recruit students for a dance class that she teaches, by letting us set up information tables at their annual Information and Resource Conference and the annual Access to Adventure in Golden Gate Park. Both of these events offer a wealth of information to families and professionals looking for opportunities and activities for their loved ones or clients. And the workshops I mentioned earlier continue, on topics like IEP's, special needs trusts, housing, health care, etc. Support for Families is an incredible organization that I can't even imagine having lived the past 26 years without.
दिव्यांग बच्ची कोमल को शिक्षा कि मुख्य धारा से जोड़ने का प्रयास जारी,
दुर्ग जिले के धमधा ब्लाक के ग्राम हरदी,पंचायत हरदी में आह्वान टीम द्वारा बालवाड़ी केंद्र हरदी में विजिट किया गया l इस दौरान कुल 10 बच्चों का चयन किया गया था, लेकिन कु. कोमल का नाम दर्ज नही किया गया था,वह 5 वर्ष पूर्ण कर चुकी थी उसे बालवाड़ी के लिए रखा जाना था, जानकारी लेने पर पता चला कि वह दिव्यांग है,आंगनबाड़ी नही आती है, हमने आंगनबाड़ी कार्यकर्ता से कोमल के बारे में बातचीत किया कि कोमल को बालवाड़ी में आना जरुरी है, ताकि वह आगे अपने जीवन में बेहतर कर सके, जिसके लिए स्कुल विभाग और बालविकास विभाग को संयुक्त प्रयास करना चाहिए l पर आंगनबाड़ी कार्यकर्ता से संतोषजनक उत्तर नही मिला l हमने उनसे कोमल के घर का पता पूछा और स्कूल विजिट के बाद उसके घर के लिए निकल पड़े l दिव्यांग कोमल के घर को गाँव के सब लोग जानते है, हमने जल्द ही घर ढूंढ लिया ,कोमल का घर गांव के अंत में तालाब के किनारे से खेत से गुजरते हुए अंत में था l जो आंगनबाड़ी से लगभग 400 मीटर दूर था l उसके घर तक जाने के लिए कोई पक्का रास्ता नही है l घर पहुचकर हमने देखा कि 1 कच्चे मकान में बुजुर्ग दंपत्ति(दादा) उसके बेटा (गीता प्रसाद) और बहु के साथ 5 साल कि कोमल है l हमने उनसे अपना परिचय देते हुए बातचीत शुरू किया l यह परिवार गरीबी रेखा के नीचे जीवन यापन करता है l जहाँ सरकारी योजनाओं का लाभ भी नही मिला है l दादा के नाम से एक राशन कार्ड है जिसमें सब सदस्य शामिल है,
कोमल कि माँ(उमा) ने बताया कि कोमल जन्म से शारीरिक रूप से कमजोर थी l गाँव में उसे एक अभिशाप कि तरह देखने लगे l परिवार ने लोगो कि नही सुनी उन्होंने पैसे जोड़कर दुर्ग शहर जाकर एक निजी अस्पताल में दिखाया जहाँ अधिक खर्च हुआ और गाँव वापस आ गए l सरकार से कोई लाभ नही मिलने से उन्होंने ऐसे ही 5 वर्ष निकाल दिए l कोमल अब जमीन में बैठ जाती है l कमर में ज्यादा जोर नही लगा पाती, उसकी माँ उसे तैयार करती है और उसके साथ पुरे दिन साथ रहती है, उसके आसपास कोई उसके उम्र के बच्चे नही है इसलिए उसके कोई दोस्त नही है, जिससे उससे बात करने वाला कोई नही है,घर में भी बहुत कम बातचीत होती है ,जिससे वह बोल नही पाती l सुनने-बोलने के माहौल से दूर वह अकेले ही है l हमने कोमल से बात करने कि कोशिश कि वह सब सुनती है और हंसती है,बोलने का प्रयास करती है l कोमल कि माँ ने बताया कि आंगनबाड़ी से भी अब पूरक पोषण आहार मिलना बंद हो गया है, ऐसे में शारीरिक मजबूती और विकास के लिए समस्या का सामना करना पड़ेगा l
संकुल समन्वयक-घनश्याम कुर्रे से कोमल के बारे में बातचीत के कुछ अंश – कोमल अभी 5 साल कि है भले ही वह बालवाड़ी में आयगी पर स्कुल में 6 वर्ष होने पर जब आयगी तब हमें इसकी जानकारी विभाग को देंगे यह अभी महिला बाल विकास विभाग का मुद्दा है l
आंगनबाड़ी कार्यकर्ता राजवन्ती साहू – हमने विभाग को जानकारी दिया था 6 वर्ष तक ही हम बच्चे को पूरक पोषण आहार देते है l आगे समाज कल्याण विभाग दिव्यंगो के लिए काम करेगा l
पंचायत सचिव मंजू ठाकुर – स्कुल में कुछ काम से पंचायत सचिव भी आई हुई थी जिनसे बात हुई, उन्होंने कहाँ कि हम अपने सभा में ऐसे मुद्दों को स्थान देंगे l और सरकार तक बात पहुंचाएंगे l
‘हमनें इस विषय को गंभीरता से लेते हुए पूरी जानकारी के साथ, जिला कलेक्टर श्री पुष्पेन्द्र मीना जी को अवगत कराया है l उम्मीद है बहुत जल्द कोमल के लिए सरकार पूरी संवेदंशीलता के साथ सुविधा और सहयोग प्रदान करेगी l ताकि भविष्य में कोमल का जीवन सरल एवं बेहतर हो सके l और स्कुल,महिला बाल विकास विभाग एवं समाज कल्याण एक साथ मिलकर काम करे ताकि जरुरतमंद लोगो को लाभ मिल सके l,
*कु.कोमल का विवरण-*
दिव्यांग बालिका- कु. कोमल
जन्मतिथि- 15.09.2017
वजन- 9.5 kg
पिता- गीता प्रसाद यादव
माता- उमा यादव
पता-ग्राम हरदी,पंचायत- हरदी,ब्लॉक धमधा,जिला- दुर्ग छत्तीसगढ़
i have been a member of support of families for many years. I have been attending all the seminars which has been helpful for my child education
Our family discovered Support For Families when my second daughter was born with a severe to profound hearing loss. At the time, we were still fairly new to San Francisco and didn't know any other families raising a child with special needs. The staff at Support for Families was so welcoming to us from the moment we stepped into the office, and the Connect to Learn playgroup that we attended brought us into community with others who were facing some of the same challenges we were (frequent doctor appointments, new equipment and vocabulary to learn around our child's diagnosis, and the stress of not knowing how she would progress through her early milestones). I cannot say enough about how important it was to know that we weren't alone as we started our journey, and I gained so much confidence in how to better parent both my children according to their specific needs from our support group. On top of this, our family has enjoyed so many of the great events that Support for Families hosts like museum access days, drumming nights, and holiday parties! The San Francisco community is blessed to have a resource like Support For Families of Children with Disabilities.
Support for Families of Children with Disabilities gave me the community when I needed it most. Raising a child with special needs can be such a lonely, confusing, and isolating experience. My child was diagnosed with such a multitude of special needs, and I felt like we didn't have our one community that could know and appreciate whole child. When I found Support For Families, I KNEW I had found that community. I came to Support for Families to ask for advice, and I came away feeling empowered and ready to be a better leader for all children with special needs. Through this agency I met other families and have made meaningful friendships with other parents of children with special needs that I hope will guide my family throughout my son's educational journey.
This organization offers so many wonderful services to families in the community. Knowing that the services are offered free of charge is so helpful because when you have a child with a disability, it can be extra difficult to commit to something. Having it free makes it lower stakes; I would otherwise not even sign up if I knew I may very well have to forfeit my fee if things at home did not allow me to attend. Having it run by parents, most of whom have a child with a disability also makes it such a welcoming, understanding environment.
What a wonderful opportunity to learn about special education and more.
Thanks Support for Families!
As a parent of a child with severe and high needs, SFCD is a godsend. While there are other special needs organizations up and down the SF Bay Area, few offer free advice/support line and groups, parent training on a variety of key topics, as well as live/in-person as well as online/zoom activities and events for your child. If you have a child or any family members with disabilities in the SF Bay Area, there is no better place to stop here and learn about their rights as well as the resources that are available to your loved ones. And after that, you may very well find yourself instantly connected with other parents and workers at SFCD and look for ways to stay involved and connected.
I first found out about them when my daughter was an infant. She was born with a cleft palate and developmental delays. I found support and information through monthly workshops and presentations, and the parent mentor program. I met many other parents and learned from them. Now I am able to share my experience, as my daughter is an adult. I now also work for them and feel like I have found a second family.
I have been coming to their conferences for a few years and always find very important information, their ongoing events are always full of fun and the most amazing things are the smiles on all the families sharing a good times. Thank you for all the Real Support.
As a special educator, I rely on Support for Families for up-to-date information for myself and the families that I serve. In these challenging times, Support for Families has been a valuable resource! For these reasons, I am honored to serve on the Board.
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Support for Families of Children with Disabilities does exactly what its name implies. This organization helps families raising children with a wide variety of disabilities. In particular, they help my disabled children obtain a free, appropriate public education. It’s an incredibly difficult endeavor which drains parents mentally, emotionally, financially, legally, etc. Support for Families offers childcare for my disabled kids so I can attend seminars and support groups and participate in community meetings for special education. I don’t know where we’d be without Support for Families providing a warm welcome for our children with special needs.
I have been able to call on Support for Families to help successfully resolve issues with my child's IEP services. I greatly appreciate the responsiveness and genuine concern. My family has also tremendously enjoyed attending celebrations hosted by the organization, it's a big relief to participate in outings with our community and know that we will be fully accepted and welcome!
I love support for families they do amazing work and have provided the must amazing support ever Please pave it forward as support for families do everyday
SFCD is an outstanding resource for families and professionals who live with, know or provide services to children and adults with disabilities. Their yearly information and resource fair is one of the best I have attended. Their parent mentor program has provided support, information and resources to thousands of families over the years.
They have on going workshops and special events throughout the year. Their website is loaded with resources. As a community partner I refer people to them frequently and know that these families and professionals will get the most updated and trusted information.
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Support for Families is a wonderful resource for families, professionals, self advocates and the community at large. They offer trainings, education and programs that are often critical to families navigating the disability field. Through the years I have used them as a resource and referred so many families and community members to them.
Mi nombre es Katty y tengo una hija con necesidades especiales, su diagnóstico Hidrocefalea y parálisis cerebral, por su diagnóstico es discriminada con guante blanco por el sistema educativo, gracias por enseñarme, orientarme con sus orientaciones, aprender los derechos de mi hija tanto en el ámbito educacional como médico, el conocimiento mueve barreras, gracias Support for Families of Children with Disabilities.
As, one of the many partners, Wu Yee Children's Services Kirkwood Childcare Center would like to give many thanks for supporting all families in San Francisco. I talk about your services working hand and hand with families needing to know we all understand and care about their children's development. I have some years experience and knowledge what each Staff member from your Agency very kind and caring, respectful with families, and your community you build with Wu Yee and other partners. We are proud and honored to apart of your success. We will continue to work together for the good of all. Congrats!! Well-done!!!
Above and beyond - in every possible details.
Many creative ways to include as many families as possible (breaking geographical, linguistical, logistical barriers).
Support for Families is an invaluable resource for any parent, caregiver, advocate, teacher, health professional. No question aimed at bettering the life of a child will remained unanswered. No disability is too big or too small to get compassionate resources.
And no surprise here, they treat staff and volunteers with respect.
Our family first started to access information and support through Support for Families back in 1990 when my child was born with a rare disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome. SFCD has been a huge contributor to my daughter's success in life - because of their workshops I had knowledge of my child's rights in education, how to advocate for her in early intervention program, school and Regional Center services.
I learned so much about transition options and programs through attending their annual Information and Resource Fair, and was able to host a table related to my child's disability for several years at that event, reaching out to many parents, special education staff, and medical providers who were unfamiliar with my child's rare disability.
Best of all, SFCD was willing to host a free facilitated parent support group for other parents in the Bay Area who had children with the same rare disorder - we were never a large group, but we were active and our meetings meant so much to the families who participated. For a time, SFCD also sponsored a sibling support group at the same time as the parent support group, and provided childcare for our kids that has led to lasting friendships among them. This support group is still ongoing!
SFCD is an amazing community resource for families, and especially helpful when you are lost in the fog of a newly diagnosed disability, all your dreams for your child are in flux, and you have no idea what the road ahead will be like. My family and I are forever grateful for their work.
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Support for Families is a wonderful organization that has provided invaluable assistance to our family over many years. Their free workshops (with free childcare) have taught us so much about the school process, IEP's, social security, transition, and other topics that are essential for parents to understand to effectively advocate for their kids with special needs. In addition, they helped us start a support group for folks with Prader=Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disability; this group has been going for over 15 years now, with Support for Families providing space, facilitation by a social worker, free & quality childcare, as well as translation services as needed by attendees. What an invaluable asset to families who face the multiple challenges of raising a child with special needs!
They provide information and support I need to advocate for my child with disability. I feel empowered to fight the fight for my child's educational success.
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Support for Families (as most of us call it) has helped me navigate the complex network that is the special education system. Between schools, health care providers, regional center, outside therapists and consultants, sometimes it's very overwhelming and confusing to get the info that I need to help my child. The staff and volunteers at Support for Families are always friendly and responsive. They treat you like family and know where you're coming from because most of them also have children with disabilities. They know the frustration and rewards for sticking with it and seeing things through. They provide trainings, support, childcare and fun family events all for free. I know my life has been made a lot simpler because of their help. I can't say enough how great they are. That's why I also volunteers for them when I can.
Support For Families has been an invaluable organization for the medically fragile families that I work with. SFF offers a wonderful place to find information and support for parents who might feel scared or lost in navigating their child's health needs.
The Child & Adolescent Chronic Illness Center has been a community partner with Support for Families in San Francisco, CA for more than 4 years. This collaboration with Support for Families has helped to ensure that patients and families continue to be involved so that our research projects that are developed are meaningful and of high priority to the patients living with chronic illness every day. Support for Families has attended several of our meetings, assisted with patient engagement and provided input as a community stakeholder. We are grateful for this partnership.
As a school social worker within San Francisco Unified School District, I have recently had the good fortune of being able to partner with Support for Families of Children with Disabilities in order to address the needs of a family at our school with multiple and complex needs. The dedication and tenacity of the social worker at SFCD has added so much to our school's ability to identify effective strategies, resources and referrals to support our mutual family. She ensures timely communication and fosters positive connections between the various providers in the family's life, while always conveying deep respect for the family. She centers their well-being in every conversation we have. She consistently goes above and beyond to do whatever she can to uplift and empower the family to navigate and overcome the many barriers they encounter in their lives.
Support for Families is one of the best referrals and links for support that we can offer to our families who have a child with special health care needs. As a pediatric social worker at UCSF, I see how the medical world is highly focused on the medical issues, and treatment - important, but a family needs so much more. I'm so grateful for the support of the parent staff at SFCD who walk with families, knowing what they are experiencing, seeing the whole child and the whole family. They offer counsel, support, training, and wisdom to navigate complex systems. They know the reality of working with agencies and can help families in culturally sensitive ways. Every single week I send a families to SFCD for general support, trainings on IEPs or additional information on special education services, links to a support groups, or family events. They are my go-to referral for families and have been one of my own personal best sources of education on family-centered care!
While I am a board member, I am also a parent in the disability community who has benefitted from the services provided by this wonderful organization. I am so very grateful for their support and programs: both educational and social. Yay! Support for Families.
This is the best family resource agency~ they provide so many wonderful trainings, support groups, and events. I do not know what I would do with Support for Families! We are so grateful that they exist and all the help they have provided to our family
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This organization is a wealth of information and support! I would not have survived my child's early years without the support networks I established here. Immensely grateful for all of the amazing work that they do, the incredible staff, the professionalism, and that all resources are free to the community!
I love this organization! Run by people with know-how and a lot of heart, families turn to Support for Families for help during difficult times in their lives. So many stay on to mentor other families, going on to enhance the lives of others.
Support for families has helped in every aspect of my son's disability. We have received case management,Iep Support (including a case manager attending his Iep),GGRC Support .
This year we went to their Halloween event at Aquarium by the Bay at Pier 39. It was awesome! My 2 year old enjoy it So much. He dressed as batman and ran through the tunnel of sharks and Sting Ray's he was in awe. At the tide pool he was able to pet the sting ray. He also loved the river otters.He was glued to the glass watching them eat and play. We also enjoyed the face painting and temporary tattoo activity. They also had great sensory activities for the children. If it wasn't for support for families we wouldn't be able to attend these type of activities.
Great organization, really helping families learn what options they have and putting them in touch with organizations to help their children have more opportunities. Their annual evens with free child care give parents a chance to learn more while knowing their children are being cared for. This kind of focus is so important and not provided enough.
I am not a client, but when I am in the area I visit Support for Families. I know people who work and volunteer at Support for Families and I am always so moved by their dedication, optimism and generosity of resources and knowledge. It is a vital program for families and their communities.
Support for Families has been and continues to be such a great resource for our family. Not sure what we would have done without them!
Support for Families has been a lifeline to our family to many others. The scope and breadth of the services they provide is useful and high quality. From education, resources & community, SFF helps families meet the needs of their children. There are many worthy causes out there, this is one most near and dear to our hearts.
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When my husband and I brought our son home from the hospital, I thought that his significant challenges would make my life forever sad. Having a child with delays in development is no walk in the park. I gave up working as an attorney to devote my time to helping him reach his goals. Goals are painstakingly met. It is hard to spend day after day working on simple skills like rolling over, sitting up, holding a bottle, bringing a fork to the mouth, crawling, walking, signing, etc. when weeks so often turn into months. However, when a milestone is reached, the elation that everyone feels is a high like no other. It's a huge cause for celebration in our house.
In order to help our son reach his potential, we had to navigate the world of disability and find all the relevant resources that were available. Through the help of SFCD, we were able to learn about and obtain all supports, resources and therapies available (physical, occupational, speech, vision, amongst several others). And when the time came to transition to preschool then kindergarten and so on, SFCD was highly instrumental in teaching us how to advocate for our son's educational needs, by understanding the law and our rights. I have never met a more competent and professional group of people as I have at SFCD. And I have never met such amazing parents as I have through SFCD. For this I will be forever grateful.
Our son is seven years old now. Our life together is not what I expected, and I would never pass up an opportunity to make things easier for him. But in the meantime, I thank my blessings every day for the progress our sweet little boy has made. He has tremendous motivation and continues to learn and enjoy life. Overall I have reconciled trying to optimize his development as much as possible with just enjoying him as we would any child.
Having support is crucial at all child development stages. I hope you will visit SFCD & then come back often, as we are always adding new information, activities and resources. Discover recreation and family fun at Access to Adventure. Join our bi-monthly group meetings and get connected to our online community where special needs families can meet and share information, stories, questions, concerns & support. Get connected with a parent mentor, or train to become a volunteer parent mentor as I have. Attend our educational workshops and empower yourself with knowledge on relevant topics and of your legal rights. Glance at our website for more information on many other important resources.
It is truly an honor and a privilege to be involved with this great organization. The support I have received is comforting and invaluable.
I’ve volunteered for Support for Families at their Resource Fair, and every time, I’ve been been blown away by the commitment and warmth of the staff. They all work incredibly hard, and from the patient and supportive way they interact with their clients, it’s obvious that they are truly committed to their mission.
Support For Families Of Children With Disabilities is an amazing agency that has helped us immensely as a family of a newly diagnosed girl, all the resources, help and information we receive helps us to face the world in an informed and prepared way to fight for the rights of our children with special needs, we are deeply grateful because this organization exists especially because there are support groups in which as parents we feel like others and it has definitely changed our lives. Thank you Support For Families
I am a Board member of, a volunteer for and a beneficiary of the services from Support for Families. Support for Families is an amazing organization that serves hundreds of families each year. It provides its services free of charge in multiple languages. The families served benefit, helping kids achieve their potential.
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I am all a client, a volunteer and a Board member at Support for Families. It is a wonderful organization that helps hundreds of families in the Bay Area each year. All of services to support families of children with disabilities are provided free of charge, most in multiple languages. Support for Families offers information, training, support, social events for this under-served population.
My daughter was diagnosed with autism and a severe speech delay over a year ago. Her behavior can be very challenging and getting her the appropriate support is crucial. The staff at Support for Families helped us so much in navigating the different services needed to support her. Support for Families also gave us many opportunities for her to socialize and explore places such as the zoo and the aquarium in a sensory-friendly environment. Thank you, Support for Families.
Great organization doing important work helping families with incredibly hard challenges.
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We were referred to Support for Families of Children with Disabilities (SFCD) when our son was about 7 months old and experienced health issues and began missing his milestones. I still remember the day that a parent-mentor named Dorie reached out to me by phone to provide an overview of how SFCD supports communities and lent an ear to answer the questions that were top-of-mind for me at the time about having a child with special needs. Since then, we have participated in the resource fair, received extra language support services and attended Family Activity days through SFCD. I am grateful SFCD is in San Francisco because it provides a support system that broadens our access to community so that our son and family get to experience more of the educational and civic opportunities San Francisco has to offer. There are so many different programs offered in an effort to meet the needs of the spectrum of disabilities and the breadth of communities in San Francisco and Marin counties.
Support for Families connected me with the resources I needed to become an effective advocate for my daughter. I learned so much from their workshops, the IRC, parent mentors and professional referrals. With this support, I was able to dramatically raise our school team expectations and her achievement in school. Her life trajectory is completely changed. THANK YOU!
That you so much for the donation my little girl will appreciate the help this time of year . Riley is my 4 year old daughter with autism she is non verbal , I never knew how hard it would be with a child with autism, Her not being able to talk is the hardest part all I wish for is for my lil girl to be able to have a conversation with me . She is by far the best part of my life I have learned so much from her patience being number 1 I could not have asked for a more precious child , I look at everyone different know and that is because of her I don’t judge as much as I know I did in the past , We want to say thank you for being there for us to help ..
Support for Families is an absolutely fantastic resource for families, their children, and for professionals. As a board member, I've witnessed the compassion and support from the staff and volunteers at SFCD and how impactful they have been in the community. It's truly a privilege to be able to support this organization!
I've been involved with Support For Families for over 20 years and now am on the Board of Directors. SFCD embodies the principles of family strengthening and support, equity and true partnerships with families. SFCD is an institution in San Francisco and has help thousands of families over the years.
Our family relies on Support for Families for the latest info on the changing landscape of services for children with disabilities. In addition, they provide great training for parents and guardians about how to successfully advocate for your child. The social activities are fun, too!
Support for Families was and continues to be a lifeline to me and my family. When my daughter was first diagnosed with Autism, I was flattened in the early days by the flood of emotions, stress, and sense of loss that comes with such crushing news. Somehow through many of the specialists seen in the early days, a support group run by Support for Families found me, and that is where I caught the lifeline. I don't know where I'd be had I not . I became a parent mentor as soon as I was able, to "give back". They are a top-notch organization run by wonderful human beings. They serve a need in the community, guiding and supporting families through the hills and valleys of raising a child with special needs. Thank you Support for Familes from the bottom of our hearts. The Raymond Family
SFCD is an organization that I can always go to for information and support. I first find out about it through one of my son's doctor when he was 4 years old. My son is now 26 years old and I can still find information and support for him and all the different needs he has through the different stages in his life! I am sure that we will continue to stay connected with SFCD because of their wonderful support and dedication to understand us families with children with disabilities!
I have twin daughters with Autism. Although there are many state agencies and systems, including the public school system, to help us, it has been an overwhelming challenge to find the right agencies and access the services we are entitled to. Even the best agencies only really know about their own work.
That's where Support for Families of Children with Disabilities has come to our rescue. Their Family Resource Specialists have been my sherpa through the maze of organizations and services. They have answered my questions, explained what we are entitled to, and taught me how to advocate for my daughters. It has made a huge difference in their quality of life.
It also makes a huge difference to us knowing that Support for Families are there for us, if we encounter more problems or need further advice.
All their services are free to the client. But I have donated to them in gratitude and found them to be very responsive to their donors.
When my daughter was born with so many challenges I tried to live up to her strength and persistence. It was a winding road of obstacles and misinformation. I found Support for Families of Children with Disabilities 22 years ago and they literally saved my family.
My daughter, who is enrolled in college, now volunteers with Support. I am a Parent Mentor. Because I work in a school, my connection to Support is something I am able to pass unto to other families.
Those days when I fought not to cry, could not come up with strength or patience, I would take a deep breath and call Support and I knew I could get the help. They walked me thru the IEP process and held my hand when needed. They always believed in us.
Because we are a Spanish speaking home it was also important that Support was welcoming of our family. I have no doubt when I recommend Support to other families.
They always have an answer or a contact.
Came upon this organization as a client many years ago. New to parenting a child with disability at the time. Used all of the resources available. We did OK and are happy to report we are well and child is having his best semester yet in middle school (Currently all A's and 2 B's)! Happy to report that we are still intimately connected to the organization and are now volunteer parent mentors paying it forward after 10+ years. We still utilize the resources as a client every now and then so it is definitely relevant after passage of time.
Thank you so much for the gift cards for Christmas . I have 3 children with disabilities and my husband is also disabled. Unable to work cause of the appointments and sickness all the time. I do the best I can do and love them so much. It is what it is, I don't dwell, life goes on... thank you again. Lisa
I raised a special needs foster child(adopted). Support for Families of Children with Disabilities was so helpful in equipping me with the right information to help in raising her and in my fight to get what she needed from the school district and private counseling. I am now raising that daughter's child. She, too, has special needs. Once again SFCD has been a great help. I give back by volunteering with them. These are dedicated, caring, devoted people who work hard for families and children.
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I was an adoptive mom of a foster child with special needs in the late 80's & 90's. Support for Families of Children with Disabilities helped me with references, information, and referrals. I could not have solved several problems I had getting the proper classroom placement and treatment for my child without them. There is nothing else like this available for families with special needs children. The care, concern and individual attention given are unmatched.
I have been volunteering since my children grew up to give something back to this marvelous organization. My grandchild, who I'm raising, now joins me as a 'side' volunteer.
Before nonprofit i was hopeless. I could not help my son to function with his disability without the knowledge of how to help him. I was very grateful when i apply and got assistant from nonprofit to go for training at the Option Institute to learn how to take care of my Autistic son. I am very thankful. Helping me to attend this training has change my life for a promising future and hope for my son and for this I thank you so much with all my heart.
Regards
Keisha
Support for Families is there to help parents every step of the way as they learn to support their children with special needs.
SFCD has supports for a very wide range of families and professionals who work with children who have challenges( ie Autism, ADD, ADHD, Intellectual impairments, Traumatic Brain Injury, Orthopedic Impairments, among others). The range of services is also vast. From parent mentors, to support groups, to books and pamphlets, to ra resource fair, to a library of resources to events and movie nights for clients and their kids, to child care for workshops. SFCD is a wonderful support and resource to families with children who have disabilities to those who support and teach them!
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I love the way SFCD cares about each and every child/adult/family that needs support around someone with a disability. i love their focus on love, support and education. There is no disability that gets more support than another. The range of disabilities supported is amazing. From the most mild to the most severe, every person who comed to SFCD with a need for support, referrals, or education is given the utmost care and respect.
Given that there are so many non-profit organizations out there, I can not begin to tell you how genuinely and truest to their name is Support For Families of Children With Disabilities. Words can not even begin to describe the level of services, supports, and commitments the organization has to the families of these precious children with life and educational challenges. Aside from the free educational workshops, daycare, and programs at the center, Support for Families empowers the parents to be strong advocates for their own children in educational setting and medical services. They empowers the parents to make changes at the State level to laws that need to give voices to our children for the services that they need to be functional and contributive members of society to the best of their ability. They empowers the parents to be educators, leaders, and role models in times when as parents we feel helpless, unsure, ...weak because of the myriad of challenges in raising our own children with disabilities. Support For Families of Children With Disabilities is a non-profit that holds true to their identity. For that, we are deeply greatful.
S.P.
Great resource for children and adults with special needs. They have free training with a variety of subjects like behavior training, conservatorship, how to do IEP, alternative strategies, etc. They even provide childcare. They have bilingual staff who speaks Spanish and Cantonese. They coordinate events like picnics, movies, and annual ice skating to mainstream special needs children.
Support for Families had a rep, Mr. Lockett come down and provide assistance and support at my son's IEP meeting. We really appreciated their support as we felt our son's IEP was not being followed and our son was not receiving the support he needed. They are very instrumental in providing info, support and constant workshops that help families that require that extra support with children with different needs. I acknowledge them to be a crucial asset in the community!
Support For Families of Children with Disabilities has been an essential support for our family ever since our daughter was diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder when she was 3 months old. She is now 25 and Support For Families has provided guidance and support when we needed vital information about schools, doctors and state agencies. Now that our daughter is out of school we are very grateful that they are sponsoring an AAC conversation club for young adults who use computer devices to communicate. This is a great learning and social opportunity for our daughter who is not eligible for any adult day programs. We never know what challenges each new day will bring but we are very thankful that Support For Families has always been there for us.
Support for Families' excellent staff provide personal, on-point support and resources to help families navigate the challenges of caring for and parenting a child with disabilities.
I am so impressed with all that Support for Families does for the families in our community. As a childcare provider, I have referred many families to them for services over the years and the families are always 100% satisfied with the services and supports that were given. They have so much to offer! They also provide many free trainings to the community, providers and families, that help support us in doing the best we can for the children in our lives.
Hello!
Everyone has some kind of special needs. We never know what will happen to us tomorrow! We cannot control how we are born, but we can advocate for those who needs our support to grow, thrive, and survive by learning essential job skills in life!
Thank you for supporting families of children with disabilities!
Warm regards!
Vivien Ng
6-9-15
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I work with students with special needs at schools and have gained an enormous amount of knowledge from attending the workshops here (such as sensory motor deficient, misbehave issues, kid empowerment, social and emotional issues with autistic children, as well as ipad workshops) for parents and professionals. They offer workshops all year around as well as provide professional growth certifications for teachers.
Thank you so very much!
Warm regards!
Vivien Ng
9-4-14
One of the amazing services that this nonprofit provides is support for new parents. As a new mom with zero experience with infants, I found the playgroups and the massage class absolutely key in forming my relationship with my baby, learning to communicate with him and learning ways to help him grow and develop. Super grateful for all the help and support.
My school has went to several trainings and they have came onsite and helped our site in so many ways. The trainings and support are great..I am able to bring alot of tools and resources back to the program.
I have been volunteering at support for families with disabilities Saturday workshop for the past year and I watch the presenter give the presentation and am amazed and how well the presentation is given. The presentations are about topics about children with special need such as the iPad, inclusion program at school. I would highly recommend these workshops for anybody with a child with a disability. Workshops are held the second Saturday of every month.
This is an organization staffed with caring and knowledgeable people who have done so much to support our family and so many other families in San Francisco!
SFCD is absolutely vital to our family. It acts as a bridge between our world and the world we have to function in by providing recreational, social, educational, and support services that families like mine need to enhance the quality of life for our children. The annual Ice Skating event is tons of fun and we look forward to it each year! I've learned so much at the Resource Fairs and through a parent leadership training that prepared me to become a more effective advocate. The experience of being around people that care and can relate to your experience and want to provide support has been invaluable. Gratitude and respect for SFCD!
The people in this organization are such caring, compassionate people, thoroughly involved in whatever way they can help families find resources for their own care of children with special needs!! An absolutely outstanding group. We know from personal family experience!
Following the terrifying realization that your sweet child is disabled, a chilling sense of being alone and different from all the other parents in your world hits you. How can I help my child? Often doctors and therapists don't know about services for or rights of a disabled child. Then you find SFCD. You are no longer alone and clueless.
i have been both a client and a volunteer parent mentor for over 12 years. I can't imagine life without SFCD, I have learned so much and made a lot of friends and connections!
Our daughter, Julia, is learning how to speak up for herself and advocate for everyone who needs a bit of understanding and support. Thanks to all of the help and support and knowledge we all gain from Support for Families, our kid is seeing the world as richer, bigger and more compassionate. Julia is a kid with cerbral palsy, but that is secondary to the amazing things she has gained from this "difference" and to the incredible way she uses all the gifts Support for Families has given her.
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When you learn you are a parent of a child with a disability, everything changes. There are questions, concerns, fears, and stresses about all of the things you need to do to give your child the best possible opportunities in a world where nothing is familiar. Support for Families begins offering support and information the moment you contact them. It is a very difficult thing for most people to ask for help, but the staff and volunteers at Support for Families makes this easier, with a real understanding and compassion for parents thrust into a new world. With the parent, staff, and volunteer support, our family found great help, information, and skills to be the best advocates and champions for our daughter. We also have made some of the best friends we will ever know. Because of the many ways Support for Families has helped us, our new world is actually bigger, brighter, and more hopeful than we ever imagined. We would strongly encourage anyone with a question, concern or need about their child or loved one with a disability or special health care need to give them a call or an email!
We have had the privilege of working with a resource person from Support for Families. The time and energy they put into working with teachers to develop strategies to support children with special needs
made a huge difference in the relationship between teacher and child and teacher and parent. All the children in our school benefited from the professional development the teachers did with our resource person. Teachers felt empowered and positive when working with children that needed extra support.
We have continued to use the strategies as part of our practice and it has made a difference in the way teachers and children interact each day.
The teachers also learned how to use the Ages and Stages Screening Tool during an on site training. The group was small so the teachers received individualized training. The trainers were patient, bilingual, and eager to share their knowledge.
I highly recommend Support For Families of Children with Disabilities as a resource to answer questions, for training, support in learning about a disability and most of all a kind a place with professionals that care deeply about helping families and children with disabilites.
I'm on the East Coast and there's no organization that comes close to SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES. I've told many friends looking for help to contact this amazing organization. They always been there, found connections where my friend's lived and never asked for anything in return.
That's why I proudly support this fine organization.
My son have been volunteering for support for families and really love it, it is a great way to give
back. Thanks for being present.\
nathalie.
I was able to receive help to improve my daughter's education and they helped when no one else did. They responded quickly to my questions with good information.
Support for Families is a fantastic resource for families, their children, and for professionals. When I began my career in special education, my employer provided absolutely no training for working with students with disabilities. I went to several workshops at Support for Families that discussed interventions and approaches to working with students with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. They had translators for attendees who did not speak English. Their speakers were occupational therapists, physical therapists, and other professionals.
They are great at providing information about special education in public schools and have been such a wonderful source of support for the families in my classroom. I tell my families to turn to Support for Families when they have concerns or problems that are out of my control. Their monthly CAC meetings have become a hub for concerned families to speak with representatives from the local school district.
San Francisco families and professionals are fortunate to have a Support For Families. Now if only all counties and districts had something like this in their communities, we could have many more empowered families of all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds!
I have been volunteering as a Violinist at Support For Families events for years and have had the opportunity to speak with multiple people who work for the organization as well as other people who volunteer for it and to donors. I have gotten a good sense of their values in our conversations and feel that they serve a much-needed function for a group of people who have a particularly difficult time finding the keys to success in our complex society.
As an employee of a non-profit organization that gives support to adults with disabilities and an adult with special needs myself, I feel privileged to have the continued opportunity to volunteer for this organization.
I have been volunteering with the kids and assisting with events at Support for Families for over a year. The care and sensitivity to social needs is incredibly accentuated by the compassion and devotion of the workers here. Families from diverse cultural backgrounds and physical needs present during every meeting an assured smile and state feelings of security by the warmth this organization provides to them during their events, such as movie nights, storytelling circle times, picnics, and parent-caregivers educational meetings. I highly recommend this organization and will continue to support their worthy cause.
I learn how to help this organization because my son. He was 9 years old and ready to help others. I always said to him that is better give than receive, so we decide to help in this amazing organization, Support for families is a hardworking organization that care for every single kids. All the staff are nice, welcoming every time that you help, it has a good environment that makes you feels that you know them for a long time.
I recommend other to come and help them, here you always will be busy and kids will thank you always with their smile and when you see them having fun.
I am glad Support for Families was created because in this world we need orgs such as this. The community we live in is very diverse which includes race, age, and people that have disabilities. Most people shy away from someone or something that is different with a face of disgust. So, when I hear about orgs that help those in need, I feel that they are helping the world and the unknown (diversity's). I was born with a mild syndrome that has affected me throughout my 15 years of age. My mother started talking to SFCD and later, was able to acquire a great job in this organization helping with inclusion of children with disabilities. All of the people who work at SFCD are hard-working and care about what they are doing. That passion of helping someone is a very good feeling to have. All of the diverse perspectives create a well-rounded community. Even though I am young, I am still passionate about helping people with disabilities and making sure they are able to do the things that they want to do and CAN do. I am proud to know and be apart of the SFCD community and I hope more parents and other organizations will collaborate and work with this community for years to come.
This organization is incredibilly dedicated to serving Students with Disabilities. The knowledge they pocess and provide to parents is invaluable. I am expecailly impressed with Joan Selby. Her professionalism and dedication continues to be of optimum value.
Linda McNulty Paralegal
We are the parents of an autistic 15 year old. Over the years, Support for Families has been a great resource. They hold useful free seminars (with translation services provided too) and have organized many interesting activities for this community of children to participate in and enjoy.
I only wish that I had more time during the business day to get away from work and attend and get involved with more of the many benefits that they offer and have time to help volunteer there.
As we were being discharged from a 3 month long hospital stay after my toddler suffered a severe brain injury a social worker handed me the contact information for SFF. They were the first people I reached out to in the midst of the turmoil that surrounded us. They continue to be an invaluable resource as we navigate our way through life raising a child with a severe disability. Whenever I meet a family in similar circumstances looking for support, the first thing I do is recommend that they reach out to SFF.
When my son was diagnosed with Autism , I thought my whole world had crumbled . A friend referred me to Support for for families and they help us with finding help and getting the support he needs to thrive in school. Right now, my son is in the 5th grade and is doing great . Support for families made me realize that my sons diagnosis was not the end but a beginning . They also provide a lot of activities that my family can participate . Support for Families is a blessing .
My daughter is 26 now and on the Autism Spectrum. WHen she was newly diagnosed at age 3, I was lost, freaked, had no idea where t start for therapies - and my pediatrician was NO help. However, I lucked upon Support for Families, and for the past 23 years that amazing organizaion has been a guide/provides education and support for me and my daughter, and provides hope and sustenance. Amazing!!
The staff and resources provided made all the difference for my daughter and for me!
This organization has been very supportive, informative and generous to my family in our journey with autism. I have attended workshops that have help me understand my sons' disabilities. It is an organization that is always informing us about events to which our kids and families can attend. Staff & volunteers are extraordinary people who have been through the same journeys themselves which helps us embrace our sons and daughters and enjoy who they are!
An amazing organization run by a bunch of SAINTS! Our daughter was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsey at 10 months of age & we didn't know where to turn or what questions to ask. SFCD was there with help from caring parents & loving friends who had been down the road before us. They have been a great support for 11 years, and they continue to be invaluable to us. Their services are FREE and are open to anyone with a need. Language translation and child care are available (must be arranged in advance) for those who need them.
We have learned so much that we needed to know to raise our daughter with special needs from the kind people at Support for Families. It can feel very isolating to have a child who is very different, but here you can get peer support, playgroups where it is expected your child will be different, advice and the information that you need. I have learned how to understand my child's IEP, found out about a therapeutic horseback riding program, picked up some parenting skills and learned how to help my pre-verbal child get started using an iPad to talk. Looking forward to what will come next.
Support for Families of Children With Disabilities is a Parent Training and Information Center in San Francisco. Parents who have children with disabilities need information and training in order to better understand their child’s developmental, educational and transitional needs; the range, type and quality of services available; their rights and responsibilities under IDEA; and to communicate effectively, participate fully and work collaboratively with school personnel to ensure their children receive appropriate educational services.
Support For Families of Children With Disabilities (SFCD), through their library, their seminars, and conferences, helped me learn how to get the knowledge I needed to advocate for my son. Unfortunately, services received at schools are mostly dependent upon a parent's ability to advocate for their child and knowledge of the laws. SFCD’s support groups and telephone counseling have done so much to give my family the strength and encouragement and information we needed to keep helping and believing in our son, and SFCD is a great resource for parents.
San Francisco families are very very lucky to have a resource like Support for Families. They provide tools and support for parents of kids with special needs. Their advocacy knowledge and support is top notch and has helped to ensure that our son received all of the respect and services he deserved. We'd be lost without them!
This organization is a mainstay for parents and children who have special needs. They have done such great work, not just supporting families but staying alive. Let's help them continue!
Hello everyone
I am the mother of 3 years old autism boy. I've been in USA only 5 months. I don't have any friend here. Suuport for families give me a lot if information and support. Also i meet new friends from SFf as well.
I am so grateful to Support for Families. When my son was diagnosed with autism 5 years ago, I was totally confused and overwhelmed. I came to them for assistance and met with a social worker who gave me the information I needed and was able to start lining up services for my son. I was amazed at the caring, high quality service that was provided to me for free! It was so wonderful to have assistance and know that, at any time, I could come to them for help with issues regarding my son's disability.
Since that time, I go to Support for Families regularly for their free workshops and support groups. I have greatly benefited from the things I've learned, but mostly from the sense of community and belonging that I feel when I am there. There is a feeling of love, support and community that is very healing to parents with special kids.
This truly special organization offers such crucial assistance to families as they navigate the often overwhelming journey of caring for those they love with physical and/or intellectual challenges.
They shall always have my deepest respect and gratitude!
I have been able to witness the amazing work Support for Families does for the past 30 years. The lives of families are validated, supported and strengthened by their services.
Support for Families offers so many things, I've been to several workshops and found them very helpful. Particularly got good information from an IEP workshop and a special needs trust workshop. Also really like the offering of family friendly events.
I didn't know where to turn after my daughter was born with severe mental and physical disabilites. I was referred to Support for Families by a social worker at the NICU but never followed up. Support for Families followed up with ME, though! A staff member, Nina Boyle, called and invited me to attend a support grp. and offered to answer any questions I might have.
We were dealing with a lot, to put it mildly. Without Support for Families and the network of families who belong, I know my family would not have gotten through the most traumatic event of our lives to date. Thank you.
My husband and I recently volunteered to help staff a holiday skating party for Support For Families. I was absolutely impressed with the staff and their organization and caring way of providing such a meaningful celebration for the children and the families. Everyone who signed up to attend as well as those on the waiting list were able to participate. I was equally impressed by the volunteer staff as everyone was friendly, competent and happy to see the families participate. The importance of this organization to the children and the families was so readily apparent. I look forward to more events and also pray for continued support through the community.
Support for Families of Children with Disabilities does a tremendous job of empowering parents through information, advocacy, and support. Raising a child with special needs can be an overwhelming challenge and they are the touchstone that parents of all backgrounds, and professionals rely on to get information, find resources, and forge community to address struggles and celebrate successes.
I am a developmental pediatrician and have referred numerous families of children with special needs to Support for Families. The organization literally has been a life saver for these parents and their children.
I supervise therapeutic recreation and inclusion for SF Recreation and Parks (and also teach it for the Recreation Parks and Tourism department at San Francisco State University). For over a decade, I have worked with staff at Support for Families, as well as parents who use their services. For the last five years, SF Rec and Park and Support for Families have collaborated to present "Access to Adventure", a huge event celebrating recreation opportunities for children with disabilities. I feel that Support for Families provides invaluable services for families of children with disabilities, and that they are the perfect complement to our therapeutic recreation and inclusion services. We would not be able to provide the services we provide without them providing their services!
I work at Aquarium of the Bay - and we have a very special relationship with Support for Families (SFF). I first because involved with SFF as we were new to doing programming for children with special needs and wanted to learn more. I met some of the SFF team - and they held our hand to navigate this process. The provided feedback on our programming and how to improved it, reviewed our staff training and have been providing training for our team members for the past 3 years, and they reviewed how our K-12 audiences reserve programs at the Aquarium. I can't imagine going through this process without them. Through this collaboration - we have happily become the site for their annual Halloween Party each October. This is one of my favorite events each year where we close down the Aquarium just for them - and the kids and their families come all dressed up and participate in fun activities. We do this free of charge - but feel that we get so much more out of the event than we put into it. Thank you SFF for being a great partner to the Aquarium!!!
Support for Families has literally changed my life. Here are just a few ways this nonprofit has made a difference:
1. They provide high quality FREE family friendly access events that help my family feel like we have a safe nonjudgemental place to have fun. These events give dignity and fun to my special needs family when we have experienced marginalization at other "family friendly" events for typical children.
2. They provide incredibly competent and authentically caring advocacy services for FREE. Their warm line is always there and has helped me advocate for my son countless times with the right advice about what to write in a letter, who to write the letter to, when to call an IEP, etc etc. Their community resources parents have gone with me to IEP meetings, spent countless hours on the phone with me as I struggled with issues with our school district, and looked over all my son's IEP documents for me. They helped me successfully advocate to change my son's placement from inclusion to a Special Day Class (which the school district was VERY resistant to doing). Time and time again they not only provide advocacy support, but moral/emotional support. Words cannot express how deeply significant it was for my community resource parent to calm me down when my principal called me to take my child home from school because he was completely out of control due to the stress he was having at school. It is these moments where I cannot imagine being a special needs parent and NOT having Support for Families there to be my cheerleader and advocate for me and my child.
3. Support for Families has incredible resources that are tailored to my child and his needs: whether it be their workshops which I have attended that always offer special needs childcare, or their vast library of books and media. I have found FREE resources here that I have not found anywhere else, including the internet, such as their binder of social stories.
4. Support for Families is a place that many of us special needs parents have turned to for networking to other agencies. Through their access to adventure event, I was able to network with other nonprofits such as KEEN, Acrosports, The Pomeroy Center, the Contemporary Jewish Museum Access events, and countless other agencies who serve Special Needs children. It was amazing that I was able to easily talk to the right people and ask about their services all at one single event, while my kid had tons of fun at the booths.
When my child was first diagnosed with Autism at age 2, I had no idea what to do and where to get support to understand his disability, what types of therapy he will need, what resources there are out there, or who to talk to. Someone told me about Support for Families of Children with Disabilities and not only did I find up-to-date and comprehensive resources, parent mentor programs, and emotional support, I've learned how to advocate for my son by understanding Special Education law by attending their excellent workshops and clinics. I also learned how to advocate successfully by knowing how to navigate my local school district's special education system by attending CAC meetings that are hosted by SFCD. I was able to attend workshops that taught me important strategies and skills to use with my son for improved positive behaviors and decreased maladaptive behaviors. With what I learned through SFCD, I've become a parent mentor myself and have helped other families who have children with special needs. Just a few days ago, I've joined the team as a Community Resource Parent. SFCD is truly an amazing, compassionate, knowledgeable, non-discriminating, and emotionally supportive non-profit organization that I will be eternally grateful for.
I am an attorney who has assisted families with children with special needs. I have witnessed, through the eyes of parents, just how invaluable a resource SFCD is and how much they offer in terms of support and education for the community in San Francisco. I have personally witnessed the passion and drive of the people who fuel this organization.
I am a pediatric neurologist and I have seen so many families benefit from this organization. I initially learned about this organization shortly after moving to San Francisco, and first got involved by referring patients and then by volunteering. I am so passionate about their mission that I decided to join their board.
Support for Families provides a variety of resources, including support groups, parent-to-parent mentoring, a hotline to help guide families, and social activities for children and their families. Support is provided in multiple languages. The organization helps empower families to advocate for their children. Families often tell me that the feel more hopeful after participating in Support for Families activities. As a care provider for children with disabilities, I have learned that families have many questions and needs beyond the child's medical appointments, and I am gratified to know that I can connect my patients with this organization and know that they will get support and care. I recommend this organization to all my families.
I am a pediatric physical therapist, and over the last several years I have an opportunity to see first-hand how wonderful this organization is and how much they offer in terms of support and education for the community here in San Francisco who helps to care for children with special needs. They are an invaluable resource for families in so many ways. They offer workshops in several languages, social opportunities and support groups, educational materials and parent-to-parent mentorships, and have an amazing hotline (the 'warm line') to help answer questions and steer families in the right direction when questions arise. The staff, board, and volunteers are some of the most passionate and committed individuals I know.
They are open for questions like schools, doctors, doctors, and anything related to disabled kids. Sometimes I need them and I call them everyday. They're very helpful. *This review was collected by GreatNonprofits staff and entered on behalf of the reviewer.
I know many families who are served by support for families, they help with so many different areas of need for families, that don’t have as many options as they should, especially in San Francisco. They really stand out.
Through the Junior League, I have had the opportunity to work closely with this organization. The staff is extremely motivated with a sincere dedication to the families and is always working to improve the quality of services offered. The families are truly grateful to have the organization as a resource and support network.
Comments ( 1 )
Wendy Neikirk Rhodes 05/16/2018 Thank you so much for sharing your story. It's wonderful to hear how Support for Families has helped your family for more than quarter of a century, and it's inspiring to know that you are now 'passing it on' as a Parent Mentor. Thank you!