Resources for Families and Children

ABC for Health, Inc. (exit DHS): A public interest law firm that works to improve health care access through advocacy, benefits counseling, and legal services for low-income families.

Children with Special Health Care Needs: There are five Regional Centers dedicated to supporting families with children and youth with special healthcare needs and the providers who serve them.

Children with Special Health Care Needs: Family Partnerships: Supports the voice of families in decision-making, leadership and systems change. Family Voices provides information, training and support around health care and community services to families and professional partners.

Disability Rights Wisconsin (exit DHS): The Governor's designated Protection and Advocacy agency for people with developmental disabilities and people with long term mental illness. The agency provides advocacy and makes referrals in cases where there has been a violation of rights in areas such as education, special needs programming, Medicare, and Medicaid.

MUMS National Parent-to-Parent Network (exit DHS): Offers matching on a nationwide basis for families who wish to be matched with other families who have the same or similar disorders. Parents are matched, if possible, with families whose children are the same age or living in the same area, from a database containing over 1,600 families covering over 350 disorders. Information about national, state and local support groups is available. Newsletter and other services are free to parents.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (exit DHS): Provides free, current information on disability topics, specific conditions, statistics on incidence, educational implications, and legal rights of children in the community. Information and referral is available for parents regarding direct services for children, advocacy, and support groups.

Regional Centers for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs: Locator map and contact information for the five Regional Centers for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs.

Wisconsin FACETS (exit DHS): A nonprofit organization serving Wisconsin children and adults with disabilities, their families and those who support them. FACETS was founded in 1995 by parents who believed that parents are the best advocates for their children.

Wisconsin First Step (exit DHS): An information and referral service that assists Wisconsin families who have young children with special needs. First Step can help locate a variety of services for children and families, including early intervention services, financial assistance, support groups, child care respite, home health care, educational and therapy providers, medical resources, evaluation, advocacy, transportation, assistive technology devices and services.

Last Revised: April 17, 2013