|
The
Family Advocacy Center, FAC, is a not-for-profit agency located in
Deerfield, New York, which serves individuals with developmental
disabilities and their families. FAC began over 25years ago as a grass-roots parent advocacy group and was later incorporated in the State of New York as Parent Advocates for the Retarded. Later we added "and Developmentally Disabled" to our name, and in 1994 changed our name to a more politically acceptable, "Family Advocacy Center." We began with a small group of parents around a kitchen table bemoaning the lack of services for children and adults who are mentally retarded and living at home. We have come a long way starting with a small NY State grant from the Developmental Disabilities Council to establish an office with paid staff to advocate for parents and families who need assistance for their child. Our first goal was to establish a place where parents could leave their child under the direct supervision of experienced and caring staff for periods of time so families may respond to family emergencies, take vacations, spend time with their other children, or simply "take a break." Our strong advocacy on a County and State level resulted in the creation of the first free standing, respite care home known as the Oneida County Respite Care Home, which was the first of its kind in the Northeast and became a model for other programs which would be developed several years later. The focus of FAC, along with the passing of Federal Public Law 94-142, today known as IDEA, changed to creating better special education programs for our children. Soon our volunteers were asked to advocate for other children and thus, the formation of the Family Advocacy Center. Today, some 25 years later, FAC has a staff of seven advocates/service coordinators, an executive director and a secretary who serve Oneida, Herkimer and Lewis Counties in upstate New York. We provide information and referral, advocacy, special education advocacy, Medicaid Service Coordination, trainings and workshops for parents and other professionals in the area of special education, guardianship, SSI, etc. Our newsletter, produced 3 times per year, keeps parents and families informed and up to date on happenings locally and changes in the "systems" that serve our children and adults. We have become the "experts" in special education issues and accompany parents to Committee on Special Education (CSE) meetings arranging, and planning for a lifetime of supports and services. FAC will assist families from the referral of a child for special education service right through the Impartial Hearing. In order to receive services from FAC, individuals must have a developmental disability, live in Oneida, Herkimer, or Lewis County, and live at home with their family. |
||||||||||||||||
|
5639 Walker Road • Deerfield, NY 13502 • 1-800-399-8004 • 315-797-8630 Copyright © 2001 F.A.C Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|||||||||||||||||
