Champions for Children in GA

Dear Georgia Families of Children with Exceptional Needs:

As you may be aware, the Easter Seals Georgia Coalition was awarded the grant for the Champions for Children with Exceptional Needs Initiative. Included in the Coalition are Easter Seals Southern Georgia, Easter Seals North Georgia, Easter Seals West Georgia, Easter Seals East Georgia, Easter Seals Middle Georgia and Parent to Parent of Georgia. The Champions for Children Program is funded by a $4.87 million five-year grant from The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. This grant was made possible by a one-time 2006 Georgia legislative allocation.

The Easter Seals Georgia Coalition is pleased to announce the implementation of the Champions for Children Program in the following counties beginning July 1, 2008. Families in these counties will be served by Easter Seals North Georgia.

Banks Floyd Newton
Barrow Forsyth Oconee
Bartow Franklin Paulding
Catoosa Fulton Pickens
Chattooga Gilmer Polk
Cherokee Gordon Rabun
Clark Gwinnett Rockdale
Clayton Habersham Stephens
Cobb Hall Towns
Dade Henry Union
Dawson Jackson Walker
DeKalb Lumpkin Walton
Douglas Madison White
Fannin Morgan Whitfield
Fayette Murray

Families living in the counties served by Easter Seals East Georgia, Middle Georgia and West Georgia will be able to access the program beginning October 1st. For more information on the Easter Seals affiliates and the counties they serve, please visit our website at www.easterseals.com

The Champions for Children Program is designed to primarily assist children and families that do not meet the eligibility requirements for the TEFRA/Katie Beckett Medicaid program. The program will provide direct financial assistance and support services for Georgia’s medically fragile and special needs children and their families. An Easter Seals Champions for Children Coordinator will work directly with families to determine eligibility, identify service needs as described by the family and connect them with resources and services.

Families residing in the counties listed above may access services by calling the Easter Seals Coalition toll free number: 1-866-584-3742. A website for the Easter Seals Champions for Children’s Program is under development and is scheduled to be operational by June 20th. A description of the Champions for Children Program, the application for services and other information will be available on the site www.championsforchildrenga.org.

While the $500,000 in annual funding over the next five years will be a wonderful resource for families, we recognize that all needs will not be addressed. However, the Easter Seals Georgia Coalition is committed to serving the needs of children and families to the greatest extent possible using a family friendly approach.

The Easter Seals Georgia Coalition wants to ensure that a simple and effective process is put in place, which is why we are rolling out the Champions for Children Program in stages. We realize that many of you will have specific questions about the eligibility criteria for the Champions for Children Program and the application process.

We promise to keep you informed as we roll out the program throughout the state, and other ways that we seek to serve your family. We also promise later on to provide you with an opportunity for your feedback on the Coalition and how we might improve services.

Yours in Service,
Easter Seals Georgia Coalition