Advocates of developmentally disabled laud parent program expansion

One West Richland mother says she doesn’t know what she would do without Parent to Parent.

The program, which pairs parents of children with similar developmental disabilities, has helped Stephanie Olson learn about new ways to help her 8-year-old autistic son.

The group has taken the initiative to find and organize activities for children like Olson’s son, who struggles with sensory issues or being around large groups.

“We all have our own journeys, but the fact we’re able to connect is what Parent to Parent is all about,” Olson said.

The program is expanding statewide, thanks to a bill sponsored by state Rep. Maureen Walsh, R-College Place, and recently signed by Gov. Jay Inslee. Not only will it put Parent to Parent in the eight Washington counties not yet served, but also provide an additional $77,000 per year to the program, more than double its current budget.

Olson and other advocates for Parent to Parent are celebrating the program’s expansion, but they are also excited about the added funding, money officials said will help with training and a new initiative to reach out to Spanish-speaking families.

“It’s been a huge struggle to get funding,” said Melissa Brooks, Parent to Parent coordinator at The Arc of the Tri-Cities.

Parent to Parent began as a national nonprofit that works to connect parents of developmentally disabled children with other parents with children with similar needs through a network of coordinators. Those relationships can help families that have recently had a child diagnosed with a developmental disability learn where to get resources and how to help their child succeed or even be a sympathetic ear for a parent’s struggles. Workshops and training are also offered to families.

The program is already available in the Mid-Columbia, with staff serving the Tri-Cities as well as the communities in and around Walla Walla.

It was Carla Nibbler, a Walla Walla resident and advocate for the disabled, who informed Walsh of state legislation aimed at taking the program to the eight counties not already served. Walsh eventually became the bill’s primary sponsor.

Walsh said her support of the bill partially came from her personal understanding of what families of developmentally disabled children face — she grew up with a disabled brother.

“There’s a great feeling of isolation you often get,” Walsh said.

More than 700 family members have received help from Parent to Parent in the Tri-Cities, Brooks said. She and another staff member field between 30 and 40 calls and emails a week from those seeking help, all while trying to set up trainings and workshops.

The Arc only receives about $2,000 per year from the state to support Parent to Parent. That limits the trainings that are offered as well as outreach to the Spanish-speaking community, where information about developmental disabilities is often particularly lacking.

“They come to us at ground zero,” said Brooks, herself a mother of two autistic sons.

Another $1,500 would be allocated to existing Parent to Parent programs in the state, according to legislative documents.

Adding even a little money to local efforts could go a long way toward helping get in touch with more families, Olson said. It also helps ensure that Parent to Parent will be around for a long time.

“It’s definitely going to go along with us as (my son) grows up,” Olson said.

This story was originally published April 10, 2016 at 8:48 PM with the headline "Advocates of developmentally disabled laud parent program expansion."