I spoke with Jim Carter, CEO of Child Focus, Inc. about stressors parents of a child with a disability encounter. He has worked in the mental health profession for over 30 years and is a wonderful resource. I simply asked him what major stressors he has observed over the years. He stated that one “universally chronic” stressor is the overriding concern about what will happen in the future. How will their child manage when they are either unable to take care of them anymore or after they are gone? Carter said that this is a source of stress throughout the entire time. He also mentioned that families worry about having enough money saved and set aside to pay for all of the child’s expenses for their whole life. Next, Carter talked about feelings of blame, blaming oneself, blaming your spouse for the disability. Eventually this may cause couples to be at odds. Along with this blame, parents may grieve the “death of the perfect child”. Families go through a grieving process and lament the loss of having a “typical” child. Families may have to adjust their dreams of the future and create new hopes and dreams. Lastly he discussed managing having a child with a disability and other children without. The sibling without disabilities may feel forgotten, less important, develop emotional problems, and become bitter. Parents have to find a way to find a balance and that can be extremely challenging and stressful. Child Focus, Inc. helps parents, siblings, and families cope and manage these and other stressors. (This is an abbreviation of our conversation.)

Child Focus, Inc. (CFI) directly serves over 5,000 youth, ages prenatal to young adulthood annually. Child Focus also serves over 20,000 people when including the families of youth served, prevention, training and other community services including Crisis Hotline and Crisis Response Team. A private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agency, its 745 volunteers, 242 staff and 30 foster families help provide a broad range of early learning, mental health, school, foster care and community services. With an agency budget of over $15 million dollars, the spectrum of services includes Head Start and early learning programs for children ages 0-5, parenting education and support, partial hospitalization, mental health prevention and support services in schools, foster care, independent living and Life Skills preparation, family stability, outpatient individual, family and group therapy, diagnostic testing, psychiatric services, management of a county-wide 24-hour crisis hotline (528-SAVE), community programs and professional training. CFI provides these services in over 70 locations and in hundreds of homes in Clermont County and surrounding southwest Ohio communities, including an outpatient mental health office in Brown County and foster homes in Clermont, Hamilton, Brown and Warren counties. In addition to serving the Greater Cincinnati area, Child Focus community programs and trainings, including school violence and bullying prevention, reach tri-state and national markets.

http://www.child-focus.org/