Community FORCE

02/19/2022

Every student deserves to learn with their peers. Oregon public schools returned to in person learning last spring. However, across the state, hundreds of students with disabilities have yet to access full time school with their siblings and classmates.
Please take a moment to let your legislators know this matters and urge them to move it forward. It MUST be scheduled for a work session on Monday!

ADVOCACY ALERT! Urgent Action Needed to Protect Educational Rights of Children with Disabilities in Oregon! Please send ONE EMAIL to urge key state legislators to move Senate Bill 1578A forward! Details featured in the GO! Bulletin: https://conta.cc/3sUreeL

01/29/2022

01/29/2022

Visit codsn.org for on going support, thank you.

12/10/2020

Don't miss this afternoon's Webinar in our Behavior Series: Part 2 - Person-centered Behavior Support Strategies. 1:30 -3:00 pm
Register Here: https://www.codsn.org/octoberdecember.html

11/13/2020

09/10/2020

The life-altering effects of COVID-19 have been tougher on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities than just about anyone else and they need more support, experts warn.

09/07/2020

Happy Labor Day! Your tireless work inspires our work too! - Vanessa

08/19/2020

Attention Baker County District 5j Families!

If you received this letter FILL IT OUT! This is important to the special education departments budget and could really help in providing health-related services to our kids!!

08/18/2020

Disappointing news. This directly impacts COMMUNITY FORCE. But nevertheless we remain available. Please continue to reach out to us for any resources.

Stay healthy and unwavering.

-Vanessa

An Important Budget Update on Family Networks

Dear Advocates,

Family peer support is vital, and changes lives.

The Oregon Consortium of Family Networks began as an idea 9 years ago. The idea was simple: provide some infrastructure and support to networks of families, and they would go on to change local communities for the better. The idea was a huge success and has grown to a network of more than 12,000 families across Oregon.

Sadly, the Coronavirus pandemic has meant very hard financial times for Oregonians as well as Oregon's state budget. As a result, the state funding that supported these networks of families was cut and will end in just a few months. The Council will continue to support these organizations as they pursue other sources of funding. In the meantime, please join us in looking within our communities and relying on each other to ensure this work continues.

We're in this together, and when our communities come together, we make amazing things happen. Our community fought hard to preserve this funding, and our fight for this work is not over. I'm eager to see what we do next.

Sincerely,

Beth Kessler
Interim Director
Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities

08/17/2020

As a school year like no other gets underway, the laws surrounding individualized education programs remain unchanged and experts say parents should fight for the services their kids need.

08/13/2020

As COVID-19 disrupts the transition from early intervention to school, children are going without occupational, physical and speech therapies and other services they're entitled to.

08/10/2020

ACTION NEEDED: URGENT PLEA FOR YOUR HELP TO SAVE THE FAMILY NETWORKS
LAST CHANCE TO SAVE FAMILY NETWORKS! PLEASE MAKE 5 CALLS TO ASK FOR FULL FUNDING OF FAMILY NETWORKS

“Please fully fund Family Networks, a vital lifeline to 12,500 families which is more than the number of children with disabilities serviced by the formal DD Services system in Oregon!”

541-740-7744 Representative Dan Rayfield
503-986-1717 Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward
503-986-1716 Senator Betsy Johnson
503-986-1600 Senate President Peter Courtney
503-986-1200 House Speaker Tina Kotek

When you call, please leave a message then please share this URGENT ADVOCACY ALERT!

08/05/2020

FAMILIES WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Community Partners you too!

Have you ever benefited from support, a training, or been connected to local resources through Community FORCE, your Family to Family Network?

Help us so we can continue to serve our communities!

Our primary funding is in extreme jeopardy WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Please send an email to these legislators before Friday, August 7th.

We have created a template for you to use if you wish.

For more information: https://www.codsn.org/ ~ Legislative Action!

Template:

Subject: DD Services Family to Family Networks. Don't Eliminate Funding!
Hello, my name is ________, and I live in _________. I am writing to you today to express concern for the future of my Family Network. (SHORT FAMILY OR PERSONAL DESCRIPTION). Our Family Network has provided (MY FAMILY, FAMILIES I WORK WITH, ETC.) the opportunity to find and navigate needed resources, support systems, information and trainings. Families that have a child that experiences a disability experience a higher level of isolation – especially during this time of Covid-19. Family to Family Networks decrease this sense of isolation.

Now is not the time to eliminate Family to Family Networks which serves as a vital lifeline for thousands of families across the State, including many whose children with disabilities cannot access formal services. Please maintain current service level funding in the DD Services Budget for Family to Family Networks to help ensure equitable access for children with disabilities and their families that are vulnerable to isolation and systemic discrimination, especially during this ongoing pandemic.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

NAME
CITY
PHONE #
(add your family picture if you choose)

Rep.RobNosse@oregonlegislature.gov; Sen.LeeBeyer@oregonlegislature.gov; rep.danrayfield@oregonlegislature.gov; sen.elizabethsteinerhayward@oregonlegislature.gov; sen.betsyjohnson@oregonlegislature.gov
CC: Info@codsn.org

Thank you!

08/03/2020

Day in the life of Ruby. (Living with a rare syndrome)

08/02/2020

🙌

07/26/2020

Today is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA....

In 1977, people with disabilities held sit-ins to demand action on a law that granted accessibility, paving the way for the Americans With Disabilities Act.