Exceptional Parents Exceptional Parents Unlimited (EPU)Unlimited (EPU)

Exceptional Parents Exceptional Parents Unlimited (EPU)Unlimited (EPU)

4440 N. First St.4440 N. First St.Fresno, CA 93726Fresno, CA 93726(559) 229-2000(559) 229-2000

By Jennifer PinoBy Jennifer Pino

Mission EPU’s mission is to strengthen and empower children and families facing extraordinary medical developmental

and parenting challenges.

EPU’s mission analyzed

• The agency empowers children and their families who are undergoing medical, developmental and parenting challenges.

• They do this by helping those families get a diagnosis for their child, treatment and by providing classes about their child’s disability or

behavioral problem.

Vision• That children will grow up in families

in which their individual needs are met; their parents have confidence in themselves and their ability to meet the needs of all family members and have a sense of comfort with their personal situation that brings forth an internal sense of

empowerment.

Populations-at-risk whose needs EPU

addresses• Children ages 0-5 who have any of the following:

– Difficulty Learning– Developmental Delays– Behavioral Issues

• The Assessment Center for Children (ACC) helps determine what difficulties there are and how to help.

• Parents who have children with disabilities. – Parents are able to attend support groups with

other parents who have the same concerns and needs as them.

– They can also attend classes to educate them more on their child’s disability.

Social Justice• EPU’s Assessment Center For Children (ACC) helps

parents get services for their children who may have developmental, learning or behavioral problems.

• All families have the right to get help for their children and that is exactly what EPU aims to do.

• EPU only works with families who live in Fresno County and the children have to be between 0 and 5 for most of the programs.

Programs at EPU– Family Resource Center– Infant Family Program*– Learning About Parenting (LAP)*– Play and Grow*– Assessment Center For Children

(ACC)*•*These programs are only available

for children between 0 and 5 years old.

Family Resource Center

• This is a place for parents of children with disabilities between the ages of 0 and 18.

• They provide parents and the community with services, such as:– Parent to parent support groups – Teen and young adult groups – Hospital support– Advocacy– Workshops and trainings– Community outreach– Committees

Infant Family Program

• They provide support to families and assistance to infants born with disabilities or conditions that are known to impact development.

• Services provided:– Home visits– Parenting classes– Hospital to home support– Play and Grow groups that focus and language and

socialization– Developmental Assessments– Speech and Language Assessments– Motor Skill Evaluation and Therapy– Infant Massage– Transportation to and from EPU

if needed.

Learning About Parenting (LAP)

• This is a comprehensive, culturally responsive program that utilizes a multi-disciplinary team approach to provide family-centered services to overburdened families.

• LAP is designed to assist families with life challenges in an effort to promote increased positive outcomes through the use of home visitation and center based services.

• They provide:– LAP workshops such as Life Skills, Nurturing

Parenting, and Substance Abuse Support and Education. They provide in home parenting classes as well.

*The parenting classes provided through this program also count towards court appointed parenting classes.

Play and Grow• This program provides play groups for families who

are currently participating in any of EPU’s programs.

• Play and Grow enrichment groups help children to socialize with peers and build relationships.

• Parents can track the development and progress of their child to help plan their Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).

• Play sessions are offered Monday and Friday from 9:30AM-11:30AM, and Tuesday/Wednesday/ Thursday from 1:30PM- 3:30PM.

Assessment Center For Children (ACC)

• They assess children whose parents/caregivers have multiple concerns about their child’s learning, development, and/or behavior.

• Many services offered through the ACC are provided at no charge

although a referral from the child’s physician may be required for insurance billing purposes.

Organizational structure of EPU

• Marion Karion is the Founder and Executive Director.

• Daryl Hitchcock, PhD is the Clinical Director and Barbara Swan is the Program Manager.

• They are the top 3 running the agency.• There are 110 employees under them and

Barbara is in charge mostly of the ACC and knowing about how EPU is funded and which programs get how much of the funding.

Community context of the agency

• The CSCs are constantly going out to schools for IEP meetings or to have group meetings with staff and the family.

• They also may have to attend a meeting through Fresno County such as a TDM to show support for the child.

The significance of EPU in terms of social justice, social work values and human rights

• If anyone calls and has concerns about their child, of any age, they will be helped.

• Only children ages 0-5 will be seen, but those parents who have children that are over 5 will be given information on other agencies that can help them in a similar way the EPU does.

• EPU keeps everything they collect confidential.• They strive to empower parents about their children’s disabilities so

the parent is better able to care for their child.• Parents are given information about EPU at and what they can do to

help them and their child during intake. If they are going to start treatment they make sure and let them know what is going to happen during treatment and what they want the results to

be. The parent is usually with their child during all appointments.

If you would like more information

about EPU please go the web address

below.http://www.exceptionalparents.org/

*All information found was from the EPU website and from learned knowledge while interning at EPU in the ACC.