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Children with special health care needs and their families rely on a complex web of services, systems and programs, yet their voices often go unheard when policies are being developed. With funding from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, Family Voices of California has developed Project Leadership, a training curriculum aimed at increasing the capacity of families to engage in public policy advocacy. The curriculum is designed to accommodate the demanding schedules of families, and also provides ongoing mentoring and support. In the program’s first two years, 79 family members around the state completed the training and began participating in committees and planning bodies; testifying at state and local hearings; and telling their stories through the media.

Download the Project Leadership curriculum here.

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A new article in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care from the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center discusses best practices for supporting diverse membership in children's hospital patient and family advisory councils and advancing the involvement of patient and family advisors in hospital-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion projects and initiatives.

This fact sheet summarizes the results of a survey of nearly 650 caregivers of CYSHCN about their experiences trying to access pediatric specialty care in California.