By:
Date:
Jennifer Zysett
Jan 30, 2023
Please join the *H&V O.U.R. Children’s Safety Project for building a community of support and safety
Learn how one international coalition of parent groups from around the world tackled this topic in their work together
Daiva Trečiokaitė-Müllegger (Austria) and Janet DesGeorges (U.S.A) will share their efforts through Global Coalition of Parents of Children who are Deaf/HH (GPODHH)
Agenda and Assignments:
This Zoom meeting of the O.U.R. Children’s Safety Project Community of Learners will focus on strategies to apply what you have learned through the project to make an impact in your own organization, agency, or other groups. Never underestimate the power of bringing forward this important topic in conference planning meetings, resources on your website, and/or other commitments to keeping our kids safe.
We would ask that you read the GPODHH white paper on this topic prior to our time together, here: https://www.gpodhh.org/child-safeguarding
Primary Audience: Chapter and program leaders, family-based support organizations, EHDI system stakeholders, educators, and individual family members.
Facilitator: Sara Kennedy, Hands & Voices Headquarters
Guests:
Daiva Muellegger-Treciokaite - Linz, Austria
Daiva is the mother of two daughters and a psychosocial and communication consultant in Lithuania and Austria. She is a parent-to-parent support provider in the Hospital of St. John of God Linz, Institute for Neurology of Senses and Language, a board member of a regional Austrian Association for parents and friends of deaf or hard of hearing children (Gemeinschaft Eltern und Freunde Hörgeschädigter) and an editor of the association's newspaper. Daiva is a member of GPODHH and a local organization committee member of the FCEI congress.
Janet DesGeorges - Boulder, Colorado, US
Janet lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband Joe and is mom to three daughters, including Sara, a young adult who is deaf/hard of hearing. Janet is a co-founder and Executive Director of H&V Headquarters since September 2011. Janet has presented to groups worldwide about the experiences of families as they journey through life with a child with deafness or hearing loss. Ms. DesGeorges is the author on the chapter for Family Support in the NCHAM e-Book, the co-author of the book Educational Advocacy for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: The Hands & Voices Guidebook, and many other publications. Her areas of interest include Leadership Development for parents who participate in systemic improvement; Deaf Education Improvement; Children’s Safety and Success (preventing child abuse and neglect); Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Systems. Janet is a member of GPODHH.
*What is O.U.R. Children Safety Project - (Observe, Understand, and Respond)?
Hands & Voices has created a Community of Learners, comprised of parents, family members and professionals, to explore and develop activities that will work to increase the safety and success of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This welcoming and inclusive community of learner’s values participation from Hands & Voices leadership including GBYS and ASTra program staff. Through discussion and critical reflection, the group focuses on issues to increase awareness and understanding surrounding prevention of child maltreatment for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf plus children. Together, members of O.U.R. identify and determine action steps that support others in their own communities that serve to observe and respond to instances of abuse, neglect, and bullying, as well as cohesively work to enhance policies for prevention within the systems of care serving D/HH children and families. The O.U.R Children Safety Project incorporates the foundation and mission of Hands & Voices, and as such guides the message of prevention throughout Hands & Voices state and provincial chapters in order to carry out the work that enables deaf, hard of hearing and deaf plus children to reach their highest potential.
Please join us and feel free to share this information with others!
For more information, please contact us at janet@handsandvoices.org