Travelling the journey of raising a child who is deaf or hard-of-hearing can be very emotional and challenging at times.  We believe that for children and families to achieve their fullest potential, it is important to complement Intervention services with support for the well-being of all family members.

A unique feature of BCFHRC is the accessibility to our Family Support Parents (FSP) on staff. With their own children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing at differing stages of life, these parents can speak directly about their own experiences.  Along with these FSP’s, we also have other parents of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, working in various roles at our Centres.  This combined group of parents is available not only to support BCFHRC families, but also to share their real-world experiences within the organization as a whole.

Alongside our Family Support Parents, we have a Parent-to-Parent Support Network (P2P).  This network has been built over a span of twenty-five years, and includes families with children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing living all over BC.  BCFHRC families can request to make a connection with another family in the P2P network at any time. Connections can be made in many ways: shared home language, shared culture, similarly aged children or living in the same city; to name just a few potential ways to connect.  Some families choose to speak on the phone to one another; others to email, video conference or even get together in person.  Whatever the reason and method of connection, there is tremendous value in parents finding other parents, in similar circumstances, to share and engage with.

Becoming an advocate for your child is important, but can also be challenging.  Our Family Support Parents, in tandem with your Early Interventionist, can guide you through the process of becoming your child’s best and strongest advocate.

Contact our Family Support Parents when:

  • You would like to make a Parent-to-Parent (P2P) connection.
  • You would like to find out about workshops and events in your area.
  • You have questions about your child that is deaf or hard-of-hearing and aren’t sure where to find the answers.
  • You need help advocating in the community on behalf of your child.
  • You just need to talk to someone about having a child that is deaf or hard-of-hearing in your family.