Transition & Adult Services Resource Fair

Lynne Goyuk is the Educational Admissions and Outreach Specialist at Franciscan Hospital for Children. If you are looking for more information on our Kennedy Day School, Hyman Novack Medical Day Care or Franciscan Family Child Care Center programs, or have questions regarding the Transition and Adult Services Resource Fair, please contact Lynne at 617-779-1113 or lgoyuk@fhfc.org.

A critical issue for families of children with disabilities, transition planning for adulthood is an area with which many parents struggle. With planning often beginning when children are between the ages of 12 and 14, it can be a time-consuming and stressful process. Through decades of changing landscapes of resources and options, the Kennedy Day School (KDS) has successfully supported families through the transition process.

The Kennedy Day School provides fully collaborative special education, therapeutic and health services to students, ages 3 to 22, with significant, complex needs from more than 30 cities and towns across Massachusetts.

As leaders in special education, our team of professionals knows intimately how overwhelming transition planning can be for families. We work closely with our KDS families to navigate the transition process and help find the best next step for each of our students approaching age 22. As a result, providing a forum for families to interact and connect with adult services professionals was both important and rewarding.

We were thrilled to welcome over 20 families and numerous professionals to our first Transition and Adult Services Resource Fair, held in April onsite at Franciscan Hospital for Children. It was our privilege to host these families, some who were familiar with our programs and services, and others whom we met for the first time.

Parents who attended expressed appreciation for the event, saying, “Thank you for recognizing how important this topic is to families!” and, “As a parent of a child with special needs, you often feel alone and overwhelmed. Events like this are so helpful in making these issues easier to navigate!”

In an effort to shed some light on the important discussions and positive conversations that took place, we’d like to share a few common concerns and considerations brought forward by participants throughout the event.

• “How do social security benefits factor into the picture for my child?”

• “I’m looking for an adult program that can support my child on her best days and her worst days. My child’s safety and well-being are essential, but an appropriate peer group is important too. Where do I find both experience and enthusiasm, outside of the special education school environment?”

• “A flexible approach suits our family, but most of all I want to know that my child is cared for after I’m gone.”

Just as every young adult is unique, so are the specific challenges and concerns of each family. For that reason, it is so important to have access and coordination of resources so that a customized plan can be discussed, created and implemented to allow the young adult to adjust to their next step.

Our thanks to everyone who helped in supporting the Resource Fair and ensuring that the event was successful! To the families and professionals who attended, thank you for taking your valuable time to join us. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please feel free to contact me directly at lgoyuk@fhfc.org.

This event would not have been possible without the 16 adult services and transition specialists who joined us for the day to share their knowledge, advice and programs. Thank you to these professionals and organizations for sharing their time and expertise.