History | Family Support Approach | Resources | Application
Triad First in Families is a family support project of First in Families of NC operating under the umbrella of Youth Opportunities, Inc., the host agency. Triad First in Families is funded primarily by state tax dollars. The mission of Triad First in Families is to work with people with disabilities leveraging community resources and facilitating financial support for families and individuals with unmet needs for which there is no other funding source.
The Guiding Principles behind the project are:
- Persons with disabilities and/or their families are the experts regarding their own life choices.
- Providers are respectful of and responsive to the direction given them by persons with disabilities and/or their families.
- Persons with disabilities and/or their families have the same rights, responsibilities and opportunities to contribute and participate in their communities as all other citizens.
- Communities have a responsibility to support the needs of persons with disabilities and/or their families.
- Persons with disabilities and/or their families, professionals, community and business leaders and the general public need to work together in order to provide for a coordinated, effective resource base for persons with disabilities and/or their families.
Triad First in Families offers support for people with disabilities that give families and individuals:
- Choices about the services/supports they need
- Access to comprehensive, coordinated information about community resources
- Access to referrals to appropriate resources
- Access to fund to purchase services, supports and material resources such as respite and childcare, health insurance, assistive devices, home adaptations, transportation, therapies, etc.
Perhaps the most telling and certainly most rewarding words of feedback come from families who have benefited from Triad First in Families…
- "Thank you for helping me get my cochlear implant."
-- Suzie, Age 5.
- (after the donation of a Care Track monitoring system)… "Now my family can have their mommy back, since I don't have to worry about my child's safety."
-- Tracy, mom of a son with severe developmental disabilities.
- "Your organization's help was great blessing to our family. We will never forget your kindness and support."
-- Paula, mom of a young son with Cerebral Palsy.
- "Thank you for your check. You helped me get caught up and now I can do it myself. It feels good to pay what I can."
-- Donald, self advocate.