We are looking to recruit families of children 2 to 6 years of age who have developmental delays/disabilities and who would be willing to share their experiences with COVID-19/stay at home orders.

If you are interested in participating or know of interested families, please reach out to Megan Jones, jonesm@cbirt.org, to set up a virtual meeting.

In the past, healthcare professionals have shared their perspectives with this project team (TOTS, Tiered Online Training and Support) to help us understand their experiences with COVID-19.

In the next phase, we want to acknowledge the extraordinary circumstances the families we serve may be experiencing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We would like to invite families to share their perspectives in a virtual interview.

This interview would last about 45 minutes to an hour and would be recorded. This interview will be de-identified and used for research purposes as we hear from a variety of professional and parent stakeholders about their perspectives and experiences regarding the effects of COVID-19 and stay at home orders. 

Each Caregiver would receive a $70 Amazon gift card for their time.

The Ohio DD Council’s 2022 – 2026 State Plan for Developmental Disabilities is now available for public comment. The State Plan is used to create specific grant projects that are funded by Council. This comment period gives people a chance to review the proposed projects and submit their ideas or suggestions about the grants.

We need your help by doing the following.

Submit your comments
Go here to review the State Plan and to submit your comments. All comments are anonymous – you are not asked to identify who you are. The deadline for comments is February 28, 2021.

Help get the word out
Please share information about the public comment period with your friends, community, and network. You can send them an email and if you use social media, like Facebook or Twitter, post information to page. Here is an example of what you can say:

I am a member of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and I’m asking for your help with our Five-Year State Plan. The projects described in our State Plan are designed to improve services and supports for Ohioans with disabilities. Can you take a few minutes to review the plan and provide your comments? Your opinion matters to all Ohioans with developmental disabilities! For more information, go to https://ddc.ohio.gov/state-plan-comments. The deadline for comments is February 28, 2021. Thank you!

Your help is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions about the State Plan and the public comment period, please contact Fatica Ayers at fatica.ayers@dodd.ohio.gov or call 614-466-5205 or 1-800-766-7426.

The UCCEDD was awarded a one-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to build upon existing Ohio Act Early Ambassador activities, and to support families in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the initiative is to increase awareness about the importance of developmental screening in early childhood and tracking of developmental milestones with the support of the evidence-based Learn the Signs Act Early materials developed by the CDC.

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