Connecting Families to Peer Support: Karen Dimmock (ACD)

Families raising children with developmental delay and disability consistently report that connecting with other families has significant benefits, including:

• Reducing isolation and helping them feel connected to others
• Navigating the supports and services are available for their child and family
• Increasing their understanding, skills and confidence to support their child
• Feeling more positive about their child’s development and future

This workshop will talk about the Australian eco-system of peer support for families raising children with disability and how early childhood intervention providers can build connecting families to peer support into their daily practice.

Karen Dimmock is the CEO of ACD, the advocacy service for children with disability and their families Victoria.  Karen is also a founding member of the Child+Family Disability Alliance (C+FDA), a national partnership between ACD, Kiind (WA) and Kindred (NSW).  C+FDA provide information, navigation, peer support, family capacity building and self-advocacy support to 30,000 families a year.  Karen is also on the National Expert Advisory Committee for the Review of Best Practice in early Childhood Intervention Project.

Karen has 25 years’ experience in leadership roles in the community sector, with a focus on advocacy, empowerment and supporting community wide participation.  Karen has been a foster carer for more than 20 year and is the parent of a young adult who is an NDIS participant.

Banner photo by Juliane Liebermann on Unsplash