Parent Information Center awarded grant to support Hispanic parents

The Parent Information Center of Delaware was awarded a grant from the Arsht Cannon Fund to support Creciendo Como Padres, Growing as Parents.  CCP is a program of the Parent Information Center that is designed to help Sussex County Hispanic parents of young children with special healthcare needs develop the skills they need to become lifelong advocates for their children.

“We saw a formidable problem faced by young Hispanic families, many of them migrant, who had children with significant healthcare issues,” said Marie-Anne Aghazadian, executive director of PIC. “Because of language and cultural barriers, along with added transportation barriers presented in Sussex County, families were unable to access essential health and school programs.”

To address these challenges, CCP Program Coordinator Anna Ornales maps a pathway with parents to help connect them with the appropriate supports and services for their child. Parents also identify the skills they need to better support their children. Upon graduation from the intensive program, parents become mentors to other parents new to CCP, establishing a support system of shared concerns.

“I am impressed by the focused efforts of Ms. Ornales with families during the critical years between ages 3 to 8, when children with disabilities are changing rapidly and parents need to be empowered with information and skills to ensure that their child has access to the best of services, programs and equipment,” said Dr. Christine Cannon, director of the Arsht-Cannon Fund.

CCP parents participate in extensive skill-building, including learning how to access transportation, how to use technology to support their children and how to access benefits of healthcare insurance.

Established 30 years ago, the PIC is a statewide nonprofit organization. To learn more, go to www.picofdel.org.

The mission of the Arsht Cannon Fund, created in 2004, is to improve the quality of life in Delaware by addressing key issues, needs and opportunities in its diverse communities. Current collaborations and nonprofit program funding maintain a focus on the integration and well-being of Hispanic Delawareans.