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Parents are the single most critical factor in the education and future of their children!
IMPACT is currently recruiting volunteers from each county throughout California to serve as a Key Parent Link Volunteer. It takes a special leader to handle their own beliefs objectively and while respecting the diversity of the families you would be working with.

Parent to Parent Support – From the Beach study 1989-1993

Increases parent's acceptance phase in the grieving process they initially
face having a deaf of hard of hearing child
Increases parents’ capacity to cope with that situation.
Helps parents to make progress on their needs.
There is a strong relationship between the number of contacts a parent has
with a supporting parent and how helpful the parent finds parent consultants to be.
Is rated helpful by over 80% of parents.
Interviews with parents suggest that the kind of support parents offer is
unique and probably cannot come from any other source.

Parent Links supports the efforts of parents to become knowledgeable in issues relating to deafness, to advocate for the rights of their children and to make informed decisions. In keeping with this position, the concept of Key Parent Links Volunteer was developed. Through this program, parents experienced in raising a deaf or hard of hearing child can serve as a local resource, support and link to information for new families.

→ A Key Parent Link Volunteer keeps an open mind and does more
listening than talking.
→ Is someone who has worked out your own problems, is over many of the
emotional crisis we faced as a new parent and has developed a means for handling
your own problems.
→ Key Parent Link Volunteers understands that even though we have gone
through a similar experience, we do have different feelings and reactions to those
same experiences.
→ Key Parent Link Volunteer respects confidentiality and is someone who is
willing to accept ownership of your opinions and biases and presents them to
other parents in that fashion.
→ A Key Parent Link Volunteer is willing to listen, respects family
decisions and does not act like a “I know best” advocate.

If this a role you would be willing and able to serve in, please
contact us at info@impactfamilies.org
Our goal is to have volunteers from each county of the State.
Each volunteer will be required to go through an interview and Key Parent Link training.

“ When my husband and I first learned of our daughter’s hearing loss we were overwhelmed by
all of the information from the medical and educational professionals. Connecting with a Key
Parent Link Mentor changed our lives! As a parent of a deaf child, our Key Parent Link Mentor
gave us the gift of real life experience and honest support” Mr. and Mrs. Chauhan Burbank, CA
As always, thank you for your support!

Please forward to your friends and family who you think would be a great match for this volunteer
position. This could not be possible without the original Parent Links grant/program or without the current Parent Links Hope Dream Achieve grant. Thank you everyone for your support

Empowered parents raising happy and successful children who are deaf or hard of hearing.