STOMP workshop coming to the UK

  • Published
  • By Elisabeth Leath
  • RAF Mildenhall Airman & Family Readiness Center
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  One in 10 military dependents have a special educational or health care need. Many of these dependents are children who may require an Individualized Education Program or an Individual Family Service Plan for children under three.

The Specialized Training Of Military Parents is an organization dedicated solely to address the needs of military families who have family members with special medical or educational needs.

A free two-day STOMP workshop will be offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 29 and 30 at the Strike Eagle Complex on RAF Lakenheath, England.

Any military family members with a special needs child, educators of children with special needs, or professionals who work with families or children with special needs are welcome and encouraged to attend this workshop.

Some of the topics that will be covered during the workshop include: parents' rights and responsibilities with regard to the Individuals with Disabilities Act, IEPs, 504 plans, TRICARE, extended care health option, and the DOD education system. Special emphasis will be placed on collaboration and communication between families and the professionals who support them.

"We have a special understanding of the challenges families face when they have a family member with disabilities or special needs and they have to (move) from place to place or face deployments," stated Heather Hebdon, STOMP director. "Our staff has family members with disabilities and we have all dealt with the challenges and joys that come with the military life."

The workshop is parent-directed and exists to empower military parents, individuals with disabilities, and service providers with knowledge, skills, and resources so they can access services to create a collaborative environment for family and professional partnerships without regard to geographic location.

For more information about STOMP or to talk with one of their staff members, call 1-800-5-PARENT or visit www.stompproject.org.

To register for the April 29 through 30 STOMP workshop at RAF Lakenheath, or for more information, contact Elisabeth Leath at DSN 238-3406, commercial 01638-54-3406 or by email at 100fss.efmp@mildenhall.af.mil.