Mothers of Movement (M.O.M.) Program

Income Inequality

City of Los Angeles

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

The Population Reference Bureau estimates that in 2019, approximately 63,058 children in Los Angeles County had one or more severe difficulties affecting hearing, vision, cognitive ability, ambulatory ability, self-care, or independent living. The recent years of pandemic-induced isolation were especially difficult for special-needs children, with many parents reporting that their children have gone backwards in development. Children with Special Health Care Needs are more likely to experience socioemotional problems, academic challenges, and other types of adversity, which can complicate their medical care, academic achievement, independence, and more. This can lead to higher caregiving burdens for their families, as well as more stress and difficulties with employment and finances. Special needs parents also need support to help them cope with the unique stressors they face and to provide them with resources and information to help them better understand and care for their children.

Activities in the M.O.M. program provides comprehensive support, education, and empowerment to parents of special needs children. Support groups offer parents a safe and nurturing space to connect, share experiences, and receive emotional support. We offer specialized support through special education advocates who work closely with parents to understand their child's unique needs, navigate the complexities of the education system, and advocate for appropriate educational services and accommodations. Special needs parenting classes provide valuable knowledge and skills to support and care for their children effectively. Emotional literacy classes or therapy sessions focus on helping parents manage their emotional well-being and build resilience. The program organizes college trips to expose parents and their children to higher education institutions. These trips inspire and motivate children to pursue their educational goals and provide parents with insights into the college application process. Workshops offer in-depth education and training on specific topics related to special needs parenting. We hold regular giveaways to provide resources, supplies, or equipment for families with special needs children. Member events serve as a platform for networking, celebrating achievements, and fostering community among program participants. The M.O.M. program provides a comprehensive range of activities and resources to meet the diverse needs of parents of special needs children.

In the short term, we want to increase the awareness of support and resources available to parents, empower parents and children, and improve the educational outcomes of Los Angeles County. We want parents of special needs children to receive the resources and support to help them in their journeys. Through our support groups, we want to see parents become more confident advocates for their children's rights, become better equipped to access appropriate education services, and actively engaged in their child's development. By working closely with parents and advocating for their children's rights to quality education, we strive to see an improvement in educational outcomes for special needs children in LA County. In the long run, by raising awareness, we want a systematic change within the LA County education system, build an empowered and engaged community of parents and caregivers of special needs children, and expand our services to reach more families across the county.

For AMLF, success means making a significant change in the participants' lives by making them knowledgeable advocates and providing a safe environment where they can thrive. A Mother's Love Foundation will measure the success and impact of the M.O.M. program in various forms. As of today, we are proud to say that three students who participated in our college visits were accepted into the universities we visited. We have compiled testimonials of our participants on our website to show our impact. Furthermore, we have created a survey to quantify how many people benefit from the program, measure their service satisfaction, and track program effectiveness, attendance, and growth. Other specific metrics include college acceptance rate, parents and children who are able to become financially stable, families that get permanent housing, and improvements for drop-out and retention rates for high school.