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Become a LEND host family

Posted on June 21, 2023


OPPORTUNITIES AT CDS
Volunteering

LEND family member

Posted June 21, 2023 11:55 am

Calling All Families…

Make a difference in the experience of LEND trainees!

Do you have a child with a disability under the age of 18?

Would you be willing to share your day-to-day experiences with a future leader?

The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) program at the University of Delaware brings together trainees from a number of disciplines to learn with and from each other on their way to becoming providers of interdisciplinary, culturally competent, family-centered services. Trainees are with us for a full year of diverse learning experiences, one of which is known as “A Day In Our Life.”


In this experience, trainees spend about 15-20 hours connecting meaningfully with a family in which at least one of the members is a child with a neurodevelopmental disability.

Host families welcome a LEND trainee into their lives. Connections can take place anywhere the host family typically spends time: at home, at visits to the doctor, at school, and in community settings. Trainees get to know the host family, which in turn can help them become more familiar with the circumstances that families may encounter in the course of raising their children.

To qualify as a host family, you must:

  • include at least one child with a neurodevelopmental disability
  • attend a short orientation session
  • open your lives to a LEND trainee by letting them visit, tag along, and ask you about your experiences
  • allow your trainee to take pictures or short video clips that will be included in a reflection assignment

Once your trainee has completed this experience, you will receive $400 as a token of our gratitude for your participation. If you are interested in shaping the family-centered perspective of an up-and-coming professional, please complete the application below. Feel free to share with someone who may be interested!

If you have any questions or would like a paper application, please contact Stephanie Kaznica, LEND Coordinator at skaznica@udel.edu.

Learn more about LEND at www.cds.udel.edu/lend.  

LEND Family Application (Google form)

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Center for Disabilities Studies

461 Wyoming Road

Newark, DE 19716

Phone: 302-831-6974

TDD: 302-831-4689

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