The Parent Ambassadors Program promotes leadership development for veteran family leaders who have experience navigating the DC systems of care for children and youth with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Our primary goal of the Project is to improve education and healthcare outcomes for children and youth through parent-led advocacy efforts in collaboration with key stakeholders in the DC systems of care and policy decision-makers.

Focusing on Wards 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8, AJE is committed to supporting our Parent Ambassadors to build the community’s capacity to engage in family-centered and disability justice-focused systems change work. Participants will receive $30 an hour stipends for up to 5 hours a week.

Parent Ambassador Leadership Tracks:

• Parent Cafe Leaders: Parent Ambassadors certified as Parent Cafe lead facilitators support caregivers to successfully create emotionally safe environments for co-learning the 5 protective factors regularly.
• Community Health Leaders: Parent Ambassadors that are trained as community health leaders will be provided electronic and physical health information products and other resources to share with directly impacted families.
• School-Based Leaders: Parent Ambassadors trained as school-based leaders will be working alongside at least one (1) other PA or parent-leader-in-training for engaging school communities on important issues to families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs.