Services

Paths for Parents at the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities

Parent & Family Network Specialists provide one-on-one assistance in skill building and organization so that parents and caregivers can advocate for their child in powerful, positive ways and be proactive in every aspect of the medical home. As a result of their own experiences in navigating systems for their own child with special health care needs, Parent & Family Network Specialists can help provide parents the tools, training, and education to be an advocate for their child.

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West Virginia Parent Training and Information, Inc. (WVPTI)

WVPTI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit parent organization committed to improving the lives and education of ALL children through a special emphasis on children and youth with all disabilities and special healthcare needs. We serve parents and families of a child or youth from birth to age twenty-six with special needs.

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The FAST Program (Family Advocacy, Support, and Training)

The FAST Program is is a statewide parent and youth network that engages families in the planning, management, and evaluation of their child’s mental health treatment and service needs, including special educational requirements. FAST has five regional advocates, an attorney, and a statewide resource specialist and serves all 55 West Virginia counties.

Visit The FAST Program

Legal Aid of West Virginia

Legal Aid of West Virginia offers legal services and advocacy to vulnerable populations.

• Know your child’s MDT and how to contact each party, including the child’s biological parents. Ensure the child has appropriate and safe access to their parents, frequent and quality visits, and every opportunity to maintain the parent-child bond.
• Maintaining the foster placement packet and record keeping. Obtain as much information as possible on medical, dental, developmental, immunization, and mental health records, as well as the records from the child's former foster homes.

Visit Legal Aid WV

//Resources for individuals considering adopting a child with special needs

• The North American Council on Adoptable Children (“NACAC”), including their Adoption Subsidy Resource Center and manual entitled “How to Adopt”, available at https://www.nacac.org/.
• The “Adoption Subsidy and Policy Blog” by Tim O’Hanlan
• The Child Welfare Information Gateway (formerly the Adoption Information Clearinghouse) for extensive articles on adoption topics including costs and assistance and selecting and working with a therapist skilled in adoption.
• For information concerning the federal adoption tax credit see https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html.
• Adopt US Kids includes a national listing of photographs of children awaiting adoption, along with information about sibling groups and helpful articles.
• To learn about specific disabilities in the adoption context see https://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-profiles/.
• Adopting a Child With Special Needs
  Lile
  Special Needs Alliance
  Discusses the process of adopting a child with special needs and things for parents to consider relating to choosing an agency, adoption assistance programs, international adoption, and more.
• Adopting a Child With Down Syndrome From Foster Care
  Thompson (2021)
  AdoptUSKids
  Presents information on adopting a child with Down syndrome, the most common chromosomal issue diagnosed in the United States. The blog post describes how adopting a special needs child can affect the family, gives information on the home study process, and links to additional resources and communities for support.
• Adopting a Special Needs Child From Foster Care
  Considering Adoption
  Describes the adoption of special needs children from foster care, which includes children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
• Resources Especially for Foster or Adoptive Families
  Center for Parent Information and Resources
  Offers information for parents who have adopted children with disabilities and lists fact sheets on commonly occurring disabilities in the United States. The webpage also provides links to organizations focused on adoption and foster parenting and disability support groups.
• Special Needs Adoption (opens in new window)
  Creating a Family
  Presents information on adopting children with special needs through domestic infant adoption, foster care adoption, and international adoption. The webpage also links to resources relating to parenting special needs children, risk factors in international adoption, and more.
• Special Needs in Children
  Presents information for parents considering adopting a child with a medical or developmental disability. The webpage offers a listing of special needs in children along the left side of the page that parents can use to learn more.
• Become a Specialized Family Care (SFC) provider for the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities
  The Specialized Family Care (SFC) Program is in place to help link adults and children who have intellectual or developmental disabilities with families that are willing to open their homes to them and offer loving family environments. This service allows a person to continue living in the community rather than in an institutional setting or left unattended without care.