ForeverParent is a consultative service that helps families plan for the future care of their son or daughter with special needs or mental illness.  

This preparation is essential and can’t wait or be put off to a later time. We will guide, support and develop a plan with your family so you are prepared for future caregivers to provide continuity and advocacy in your son or daughter’s life when you no longer can.  Creating a set of comprehensive tools provides a roadmap for those who will follow you. 

Working with ForeverParent is the best preparation you can do as a parent. You can’t be replaced, but you can do your best planning to prepare the next person. The quality of your son or daughter’s care is significantly enhanced by how you have organized and developed a system that a caregiver can easily access. They shouldn’t have to guess; you have done this for so many years and need to record it. Without this information, they are left to make their own best decisions and will be burdened to do unnecessary research. 

 

During this consultation, a deep mutual understanding of needs and resources is established. The initial meetings will review the needs of individual and their care. Equally important, an organizational review of the family, supports and stakeholders will be accomplished. 

 

Lastly, after completion of a comprehensive task list and discussion about family responsibilities, you will have the essential details of your son’s or daughter’s life recorded and organized that will be easily accessible.  

The family will now be able to consider the next steps of who will be there to care for them when they are not. 

Common items highlighted, addressed, and discussed in our ForeverParent consultations include: 

 

1. Who will be the next caregiver? 

2. What will they need? 

3. Future and current information related to: 

  • Medical needs 

  • Financial arrangements  

  • Housing 

  • Rep Payee 

  • Transportation 

  • Adult agency 

  • Social/recreational 

  • What is your son’s and/ or daughter’s wishes? 

  • What do they like to eat? 

  • What do they like to do for fun? Interests? 

  • What are their fears?

Parenting is a Forever Commitment…
If your parenting involves a child with
lifelong challenges, there is always
the additional question of

“Who will be there when I am gone?”

ForeverParent provides a unique answer, based on a 
long-term relationship, focused on customized needs, 
and delivered with a parental level of service. 
We do, what you would do, as a parent.

We get it…
Your peace of mind starts here…

 

….. a singular mission

MISSION

OUR MISSION

ForeverParent exists to provide parents peace of mind by ensuring the very best
for your family member through a long-term commitment to do
whatever you would do, as a parent, on their behalf.

THE CHALLENGE

Every family that includes an individual with special needs, lifelong mental health, intellectual disabilities or
physical challenges, knows there is “no day off”. Whether a loved one lives next door or across the country,
there is a constant level of heightened concern and worry. The energy, effort and time needed to meet these
special demands frequently require tenacity, optimism, and strength, both physically and emotionally. While
there are many joys and successes, the very real question always remains, “Who will take care of my loved
one when I am not here?”

THE SOLUTION

ForeverParent addresses this lifetime challenge by creating a support which will change with the individual
as their needs change. This is accomplished by establishing a network of committed and dedicated ForeverParent Professionals who are there for the long term.

The solution to the challenges a family faces must include an approach that addresses the fundamental needs of both the present and the future. It must be immediately available for crisis situations while concurrently having an organizational structure which seeks to prevent emergencies from arising. Planning reduces crises. Situation management, in real time, is embodied in a ForeverParent Professional. 

A ForeverParent Professional is a compassionate person who can commit to this role and understands the
critical need for stability and sustainability. They are someone who has life experience gathered from their
own personal, academic, and professional experience.

ForeverParent Professionals are eternal learners who are always seeking the best for your family member to ensure safety, growth, and stability. Sometimes they are a counselor, a friend, an advocate, a listener to what is needed, and attuned to what is not always spoken; but above all, they are always there to ensure the right things are in place, just as a parent would. 

….. built on decades of experience

EXPERIENCE

THE FOUNDERS  The founders of ForeverParent have an unprecedented depth of mission specific knowledge and accomplishments. They have been responsible for providing services and systems that have touched the lives of thousands of individuals, both locally and nationally. Their decades of both personal and professional experience, combined with a hands-on, operational understanding of service delivery, is the foundation for all ForeverParent activities.

Dafna Krouk-Gordon Dafna is the Founder and President of Toward Independent Living and Learning, Inc. (tillinc.org), is a leader and innovator on a statewide and national level in developing services for people with specialized needs. Established in 1980 in response to the needs of individuals and families seeking community-based supports, TILL has developed into a comprehensive human service agency providing supported, integrated, community-based residential, vocational and support services to individuals and their families throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Ms. Krouk-Gordon’s combined management and clinical back-ground in psychology brings a unique combination of professional expertise, fiscal management, and clinical excellence to services. She is co-author of “Moving Out: A Family Guide to Residential Planning for Adults with Disabilities,” designed to educate and support individual and family choice. She has worked with numerous small groups of families in helping them to navigate the complex world of adult services as their children transition to adulthood. In addition to her work with hundreds of families and individuals throughout her career, she is a frequent presenter at statewide, national, and international advocacy and family conferences.
TILL, Inc. has been recognized by the Commonwealth Institute as one of the Top 100 Women-led Businesses in Massachusetts and included in this celebrated listing for seven consecutive years.

Patric Barbieri Patric has been working in the field of special education for over 32 years. He recently retired as Executive Director of LABBB, a special education collaborative of five Massachusetts communities near Boston. LABBB has consistently been a statewide leader in providing robust academic,
career, and social/recreational experiences for all special needs students, ages 3-22. Patric’s strengths include developing programs for students and young adults from preschool through high school and college. He has conducted numerous program evaluations and professional development
trainings for public school districts. He is a frequent speaker for Massachusetts Partnership for Youth and other groups.
Patric has been practicing and teaching Mindfulness for 35 years,
including offering a new perspective for those struggling with anxiety,
which he calls, “Positive Anxiety.”
     One of his passions is helping families navigate special needs plans.
He has run workshops, created podcasts and written many articles
on the importance of the planning process based on his own family’s
experience.

Richard W. Ronder Richard is the former Chairman of the Board of The Columbus Organization, which he founded in 1984. The Columbus Organization, (columbusorg. com), based in Blue Bell, PA, is a national healthcare company with services focused on people with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Columbus has worked with more than 150 agencies in 44 states providing services that include onsite clinical staffing of physicians, psychiatrists, therapists, etc., and quality improvement technical assistance. The company currently provides monthly case management/care coordination for approximately 20,000 individuals with special needs. Mr. Ronder has a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Michigan and is a former nationally certified paramedic.

….. providing a parental level of service

A SINGULAR COMMITMENT

ForeverParent is focused exclusively on creating and maintaining long-term relationships. Our mission, to offer real peace of mind, only works when all parties share a long-term commitment. We are not trying to be everything to everybody.

ForeverParent is an independent coordinator of services. We receive no payments from service providers; our focus is solely on what is best for the individuals we serve. This positioning is critical, as we have no financial benefit in the utilization of additional services.

ForeverParent is customized for each person, so one size does not fit all. Actual costs are determined following a review of all relevant information and discussion with family members and/or stakeholders. Insurance does not typically cover the cost of our services.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

….. your peace of mind starts here

CONTACT US

For more information about ForeverParent, please complete and submit the form below.


Email: barbieri@foreverparent.com 
www.foreverparent.com
40R Merrimac Street, Suite 201 East
Newburyport, MA 01950
617-417-3900

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