- Press Releases
Experts in programs for young children with special needs will be convening a forum on Thursday, October 22, at Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) in Palo Alto to discuss how best to provide for these vulnerable clients in lean times and under a fragmented system. The forum, “Crisis and Opportunity: A Policy Forum About Early Intervention Services for Children with Special Needs,” is cosponsored by JFCS’ Center for Special Needs and its Public Issues Committee of the Peninsula, Abilities United of Palo Alto, the Stanford University Center for Autism and Related Disorders, and Community Gatepath of Burlingame. The forum will begin at 6:00 pm at JFCS’ Koret Family Resource Center, 200 Channing Avenue, Palo Alto.
This meeting of policy leaders and funders comes at a time of harsh budget realities. Funding for programs that serve young children with special needs has been slashed statewide. “As a result, there is a significant gap between the needs of families and children who require accurate assessments and appropriate treatments and access to such services,” said Amy Weiss, MS, MFT, a forum panelist who is the Director of JFCS’ San Francisco Parents Place, a resource center for families and children that includes a Center for Children with Special Needs. Two years ago, JFCS launched the center in four Bay Area counties to provide services for many families who might otherwise fall through the cracks due to a shortage of such services.
Federal mandates dictate that all states provide services for young children with special needs. In California, such services have been provided by regional centers. But with a $100 million cut to these centers, most of these services have been terminated, even as the demand increases. Forum panelists will discuss innovative program models and policy changes that can better serve these children and families. “Reaching our elected officials through this forum can provide them the information and tools they need to enact lasting and effective systemic changes,” said Beth Schecter, Director of JFCS on the Peninsula.
In addition to JFCS’ Amy Weiss, forum participants include Dr. Heidi Feldman, Medical Director of the Behavior Unit of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine; Lynda Steele, Executive Director, and Janel Astor, Director of Children’s Services, of Abilities United; and Sheryl Young, Executive Director of Community Gatepath.
Many other experts will be participating. To attend the forum, call JFCS at 650-688-3030.