Florida DOH participates in Family Cafe event for those with disabilities

Florida Department of Health (DOH) • The Family Cafe

Orlando, Florida - The Family Cafe's 25th annual Governor’s Summit on Disabilities was held during June 9 - 11, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Orlando, Florida.

Since 1998, The Annual Family Cafe has brought Floridians with all types of disabilities together for three days of information, training, and networking.

During the summit, Family Cafe hosted more than 200 hour-long sessions, with topics such as advocacy, assistive technology, employment, and military families, that allowed participants to advance their understanding of the chosen topic, as related to living with a disability.

For more information regarding The Family Cafe and its activities, visitt FamilyCafe.net.

“The Florida Department of Health is committed to advancing the well-being of those living with disabilities in Florida,” said State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. “Creating Individualized Family Support Plans, ensuring medically complex children have a safe family-home environment, and offering a specialty health plan with expanded benefits - such as swim lessons and transition assistance - comprise just a portion of the Department’s efforts to ensure those with disabilities are supported on a path to success. Family Café provides a great opportunity for us to come together and learn about resources available for those in Florida living with a disability.”

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) offers many programs that work to expand opportunities for those with disabilities and their families and caretakers. During Family Cafe, Department programs provided information on available resources and services and hosted fun family-friendly activities, such as Club Cafe, storytime, and free play.

DOH programs and resources include:

• The Early Steps Program, which provides early intervention services, such as an Individualized Family Support Plan, to families with eligible infants and toddlers that have developmental delays, disabilities, or at-risk conditions. Early Steps hosted an Early Wishes playgroup during the event.

• The Newborn Screening Program, which screens all newborns in Florida for 58 conditions, including sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, hearing loss, and congenital hypothyroidism.

• The Medical Foster Care Program, coordinated with additional state agencies, which provides training and support for Florida foster care parents of medically complex children ages 0-21.

• The Children’s Medical Services Health Plan, which provides medical care, legal guardianship, and other benefits including swim lessons to children with special health care needs.

• Bright Expectations, a webpage brought to you by the Department which provides information on developmental disabilities for pregnant women, health care providers, parents, and families.

• The Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program, which provides services and resources to those who sustain a brain or spinal cord injury.

• Chronic Disease Prevention programs, such as the Disability and Health Program, which works to improve the health of those facing mobility limitations and intellectual or developmental disabilities, including expanding opportunities for adapted physical activity for students with disabilities in schools.

About the Florida Department of Health

The Florida Department of Health, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.