Oregon Alliance for Early Intervention

1. OregonAlliance for Early Intervention • Retreat 2012

2. Who am I and why am I here? • Amy Hunt, Coordinator -ahunt.aei@gmail.com • Noelle Sisk, Parent Advocate noellesisk@yahoo.com

3. Amy and Noah

4. Noah

5. Olivia Noelle Sisk Elli & Bob 5

6. Mom and Me playgroup! E.I.

7. E.I. playgroup graduation

8. E.C.S.E. Preschool!!!!

10. I’ve got something to say!!

11. Look at me now!!!

12. What is the Alliance for Early Intervention (AEI) ? • Currently a project of the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities • Contracted coordinator to facilitate activities, increase communication among stakeholders, and coordinate activities • aei

13. Why an Alliance for Early Intervention (AEI) ? • Founded to raise awareness and visibility of the EI/ECSE programs • Increase collaborations with other advocacy efforts on behalf of children • Help inform policy makers about the importance of these services • Engage parents and family members • Assist parents, professionals, and others to advocate on behalf of these services at the state and local levels

14. Challenges Ahead • Funding has not kept up with the increase in the number of kids, services needed and the cost of those services • Budgets in Oregon are tight. Not lots of new money • Risk of getting lost in the early childhood system reforms

15. What do we need to do? • Strengthen our organization • Develop a common message to use with our communities, our partners, our stakeholders, and policymakers. • Increase our visibility • Activate our families • Educate policymakers

16. Strengthen the Alliance • Sign up sheets on your table (Share widely!) • Join our email roster • Receive monthly email updates and alerts • Read and “like” our Facebook page • https://www.facebook.com/OregonAssociationForEarlyIntervention

18. Become a Member of the Alliance • Pay a membership fee • Donate money through the Oregon DD Coalition. 501c3 tax exempt organization • Oregon DD Coalition • Box 13924 • Salem, Oregon 09309

19. Volunteer • Alliance Advisory Committee • Help develop messages and communication strategies • Plan activities • Help create a Toolkit for local groups • Monthly conference call to update and plan

20. Be a contact for local activities • Create a local team • Share information with your local families, partners, stakeholders • Engage families • Help organize activities to increase awareness and educate local policymakers

21. SIGN UP BEFORE YOU LEAVE • TODAY 21

22. Focus Now through February • Educate your local legislators and other policymakers* • Have them visit your programs and meet children and families • Put the face to the name Early Intervention/ Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) • Now is the time!! • Provide them with fact sheets • * Legislators, school board members, county commissioners

23. What do they need to learn? • Who the children are who receive these services • What services are provided and where • What these services mean to families • All children can learn and transition to school ready to learn • How the program collaborates and coordinates with others in the community • There can be no waitlist and funding adequate services is a challenge

24. Strategies • Starts with a one-on-one or some type of relationship • Single site: Policymakers come to a single location. Families talk about the program and perhaps provide a slide show that gives examples of the variety of kids, sites, and services. • Take policymakers on a tour of a variety of sites. Families meet them there and talk about the program

25. Now it is your time to plan • What will YOU do in your community to educate policymakers? • What do you need from us?