Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN)

The Federation for Children with Special Needs provides information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities. We are committed to listening to and learning from families, and encouraging full participation in community life by all people, especially those with disabilities. The Federation believes that individual differences in people are a natural part of life, and that disabilities provide children and adults with unique perspectives, insights and abilities which contribute to the overall well-being of society. The Federation values children as the hope for the evolving improvement of humankind, and places great value on the family as a caring protector of children's vulnerability, as well as a catalyst for their healthy growth and development. The Federation places a tremendous value on parents because of the contributions they make as the leaders of families toward supporting the health, education, and development of their children at home and in society. The Federation promotes the active and informed participation of parents of children with disabilities in shaping, implementing, and evaluating public policy that affects them. The Federation believes in the power of parents helping parents and has infused a proven model of peer support throughout all its work. Most Federation staff members are parents or family members of children with disabilities and people with disabilities.