Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina
Supporting Families With Children Who Have Special Health Care Needs
Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina
Supporting Families With Children Who Have Special Health Care Needs
About US
Our Services
Support Parent Mentoring
Sometimes families with children who have special needs or who have experienced the loss of a child can get the best support from others who have experienced a similar journey. Through our Support Parent Mentoring Program, families seeking support from other parents can receive just that. We connect families to a trained volunteer mentor to talk with that has walked a similar path. Our access to state and nationwide networks enables us to locate family matches for a variety of needs.
Family Connections Events
Our family connections events are designed to create a safe and supportive environment for families to connect with one another to ensure that no family has to walk alone. We provide the opportunity for all families who wish to participate the ability to join in family social events, parent groups, and sibling events at no cost to the family.
Workshops
Through collaboration with community partners, educational workshops are provided to families within their community to support the unique needs of families who have children with special needs. Workshops cover a variety of topics and aim to empower and equip families with up-to-date information, skills and leadership opportunities.
Care Bags
Having a child in a treatment environment can be stressful on families. FSN-ENC provides family care bags to make the journey a little bit more comfortable. Care bags include notebooks and pens to keep track of valuable information; self-care items such as toothbrushes, chapstick, and combs; comfort items including socks, mints, snacks and crossword puzzles.
Aromotherapy Hearts
There are times when parents are not able to be physically present with their children during treatment or hospital stays. Aromatherapy hearts provide a way to stay connected through the sense of smell. FSN-ENC provides families with cloth hearts they can wear against their skin, absorbing the unique smell of the parents that can be placed with their children when they are not able to be present.
Information and Resources
We provide information and resources to families throughout our 18-county region. FSN-ENC participates in numerous community collaboration and resource committees in order to provide current information and resources to families.
Our History
The seeds of what is now known as the Family Support Network of Eastern NC were first planted by Dan and Diane Pickett in 1986. As parents who had a child access services through the Developmental Evaluation Clinic they sought a way to connect parents who had similar experiences to one another through a Parent-to Parent support program for shared support, information and advocacy. They connected with other similar programs through the Community Pediatric Program in Chapel Hill to form the Pitt County Parent to Parent Committee. In 1993 the name was changed to the Family Support Network of Eastern NC. FSN of ENC is an affiliate of the Family Support Network of North Carolina and Parent to Parent USA. The organization as grown and evolved over the years but the goal of providing support to parents and families has remained the heart of the organization.
Our Mission
The Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina, Inc. is a private nonprofit corporation designed to provide emotional support and resource information for families of children with developmental, physical, behavioral or medical needs and families who have experienced the death of a child.
Our Champions
Support from our community champions allow us to empower, connect and support families need each and every day. The volunteers, supporters and sponsors throughout are community are essential to our ability to carryout our mission, ensuring that no family has to walk their journey alone.
Thank you to our 2022 Run for Families Gold Level sponsors Yen Nguyen, The Carroll Family, The Iams Family, Lillian and John Whichard, Carolina Wealth Management, Nutrien
Help Our Cause
$20.00
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions. Your generous donation will fund our mission.
