The Family Care Enhancement Project (FCEP) places parent resource coordinators (PRCs) in medical clinics to provide information and support to families that have children with disabilities and special health care needs. Grant funding is from the Nebraska Department of Education and Health & Human Services' Early Intervention (IDEA Part C) Program and supports families having children with disabilities or special health care needs ages birth to 5 years. Other funding to support families having children with disabilities and special health care needs beyond age 5 has been available through the support of collaborating clinics or other grants and contracts. PRCs are parents or family members who have experienced navigating the resources their family member with a disability needs in order to achieve optimal health outcomes. In addition, each PRC receives extensive and ongoing training.

The overall goal of the FCEP

The Family Care Enhancement Project (FCEP) is designed to:

• help families receive early intervention services;
• assist families who have children with disabilities or special health care needs to access needed community resources to keep medical appointments and improve health outcomes;
• identify other sources of funding to enhance and further support families that have children with disabilities or special healthcare needs to adulthood; and
• expand this project to other sites across the state.

This project is funded through the support of the Nebraska Early Development Network, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health, the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and the collaborating clinics.