IC4 strives to apply our key principle “patient and family centered care” at all levels of the program. We encourage patients and families to define their “family” and determine how they will participate in their healthcare and healthcare decision-making.
Parent Café for IC4
What are Parent Cafes?
Parent Cafés are voluntary group meetings which offer opportunities for parents and caregivers of children with medical complexity and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities to gather and share their experiences, joys, and challenges in a small group with others who “get it”. They are informal and parent-led. They provide space for families to share as they are comfortable, and to learn from each other. Thanks to the organization Be Strong Families for their development of the model and training of our team. Parent Cafés are research-informed and draw upon the Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors: parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social and emotional competence of children.
What we do at Parent Café:
- Make new friends
- Share ideas and information
- Share our hopes and dreams for our families
- Be reminded of the importance of taking care of ourselves
- Gain skills to raise strong children
- Build strong relationships
- Share resources to support our families
Where Do They Take Place?
Parent Cafes for IC4 are currently offered online using Zoom several times per month. Sessions are offered at varying times of day and days of the week. They usually last one to two hours.
After each session, Parent Café participants are asked to complete a brief, online, anonymous feedback form to help us grow and improve our program.
Here’s what our families are saying about their experiences after attending a café:
For those interested in Parent Cafes in-person, contact us and we would be happy to connect you to other organizations who host live cafés in Indiana.
Are They Free?
Yes! Parent Cafes are free for families and caregivers who are participating in IC4 primary care sites around Indiana. In addition, we know that caregivers are busy. We hope to make it easier to participate by saving you some time that you would usually spend to make a family meal. Participants who attend the entire café are offered a $25 electronic gift card to contribute to the cost of a pre-made family meal.
Who Leads Parent Cafes?
Trained parents and caregivers host the conversations. They also organize, facilitate, and plan the Cafes and train other parent leaders. We are always looking for new parents and caregivers to join our café team. If you would like to take on a future host role, let us know!
I am ready to sign up for a Parent Café – what should I do next?
View upcoming times and dates, then register for a session.
Be sure to register early! Attendance is limited. You can reach our Parent Café Manager, Erika, at erthomis@iu.edu or 317-278-5018 if you have any questions.