FAVOR, Inc. (FAVOR) is a statewide family-led, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to empowering families as advocates and partners in improving educational and health outcomes for our children. FAVOR is the Connecticut state organization of the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health.
FAVOR offers a single place for families with children who have medical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health challenges to find information, assistance and training.
FAVOR’s philosophy exemplifies our key core values: family empowerment, mutual respect, accountability, and partnership. We use a wraparound approach that emphasizes the importance of the family and youth voice for achieving successful outcomes for children. Our mission is to educate and amplify youth and family voices through advocacy and capacity building to access family driven, as well as culturally and linguistically appropriate services to improve their family well-being.
Our staff has lived the experience of being caregivers of children with special needs. We have learned how to navigate service systems to get services for our children and have a strong passion for helping other families in similar situations. We help families learn the skills to effectively self-advocate and to become family leaders who can mentor other families with similar needs in their communities. Through training and mentoring activities, we foster relationships between families, schools and healthcare providers. These relationships are built on mutual respect and accountability that enable children to thrive in home and in their communities, and to ensure that the needs, rights, and preferences of families are heard and honored throughout all networks of care, including the schools, child behavioral health services, and the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
Successful child outcomes are more likely when parents, caregivers, youths and other persons with long-term bonds to the youths work collaboratively and share responsibility for developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating care plans. We seek to identify the strengths of the child and the family and enhance their capacities, knowledge, and skills to advocate for themselves. In collaboration with family leaders and professional partners at the local, regional, and state levels, FAVOR strives to ensure that families are always at the table where decisions are made that affect their children, whether it be at the IEP/PPT process, community-based advisory or planning committees, or the state legislature.
We Can Help You:
- Know your rights.
- Learn strategies to advocate for children.
- Secure appropriate services for your child and family.
- Keep children in school.
- Navigate education, health and mental health systems.
- Prepare for life after high school.
- Connect with other parents who understand.
- Start a parent or youth support group.
- Become an effective partner in improving our schools, communities, and service systems.
- Be a catalyst to improve services for children and families.
- Access information and resources.