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 Janet
Atkinson is the Director of Family Support & Outreach Services in
Hillsborough and Polk Counties. Her
position includes the supervision of the Family Resources Specialist
(FRS) unit. Janet is the proud parent of a child with special needs.
Her son is Taylor. Taylor has cerebral palsy and needed help to
learn to walk and to talk. He is also considered a child with
“fragile health,” has symptoms of autism and grand mal seizures. She knows what it is like to feel overwhelmed with
problems and to be in need of the support of another parent. Janet
provides the mentorship and supervisory support to the other
Family Resource Specialists who work with the local Early Steps.
Each local Early Steps is required to have FRS involved in their
local program. The FRS must be a family member of a child who
received early intervention services or would have been eligible for
early intervention services. The FRS serves as a resource for
families served through the local Early Steps and serves as a
community link to support family centered efforts and activities
within the local Early Steps. The FRS advocates for families served
by expressing the views, perspectives and needs conveyed by
families. The FRS also solicits feedback from families receiving
early intervention services to ensure diverse input regarding
programs, policies, and the delivery of early intervention
services. The FRS also works with the Early Steps teams to provide
training to providers and other parents as well as making
presentations at conferences to promote awareness of supports and
services available to children and families in the program.
Remember that Family Resource Specialists are first and
foremost…..parents! W are very aware of the pressures and
sacrifices parents go through to raise children who have special
needs. We offer our services as a sounding board for parents
concerns relating to their own family situations. We are not
medical professionals. We may have knowledge of different medical
conditions and medical terms, but we don’t evaluate, diagnose, or
prescribe treatments for children. We help families and children
find support.
To contact Janet Atkinson, please call (813) 375-3980, ext. 123 or
e-mail her at
jatkinson@tampabay.rr.com
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