This month we are featuring Family Support Network™ of Southern Piedmont (FSN), a local nonprofit agency that serves families of children born prematurely or with other special healthcare needs or disabilities. By providing information, education and caring connections, FSN gives families the tools they need to help them become more confident and empowered in raising their child.
Having a child born with special healthcare needs or a disability can be overwhelming for most families. FSN provides families with information on specific disabilities or health care concerns, helps find resources they need, and assists with parent to parent connections. Parent to parent connections may be through a one-to-one match with a trained parent mentor or connecting with a support group. A parent mentor is someone who has "been there" and knows the ins and outs of raising a child with special health care needs. FSN provides training to parents who are interested in volunteering to mentor other parents.
Support groups sponsored by FSN include a NICU Parent to Parent Support Group (for families with infants in the NICU at the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital at CMC-Northeast), The Mom Connection (moms meet monthly at various locations), and Sibshops (a program just for boys and girls that have a brother or sister with a disability).
For more information please call 980-522-8740 or email ccranford@fsnsp.org.