Changes at "Family Wellness & Respite Support Program for Neurodiverse & Special Needs Youth"
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- +{"en"=>"Family Wellness & Respite Support Program for Neurodiverse & Special Needs Youth"}
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- +["<xml><dl class=\"decidim_awesome-custom_fields\" data-generator=\"decidim_awesome\" data-version=\"0.12.0\">\n<dt name=\"textarea-1756922998878-0\">Idea Submission for The People's Money:</dt>\n<dd id=\"textarea-1756922998878-0\" name=\"textarea\"><div>The Pura Vida Foundation proposes the Family Wellness & Respite Support Program, a healing-centered initiative supporting caregivers of neurodiverse and special-needs youth. Many families raising autistic or developmentally delayed children face chronic exhaustion, isolation, limited services, and overwhelming caregiving demands. This program fills a critical gap by offering weekly structured respite sessions for children and wellness, emotional support, and cultural healing spaces for caregivers.\n\nChildren participate in sensory-sensitive, supervised activities led by trained staff and behavioral-support specialists, creating safe opportunities for social engagement and emotional regulation. At the same time, caregivers join monthly wellness circles, mental-health workshops, mindfulness practices, and cultural-healing sessions that strengthen resilience and reduce burnout.\n\nFamilies receive resource navigation, including IEP support, benefits guidance, therapy referrals, and advocacy assistance. The program also hosts family wellness events, cultural gatherings, and restorative community days that reinforce bonding, connection, and stability within the home.\n\nOverall, this project strengthens family wellness, reduces crisis risk, improves emotional stability, and builds a supportive network for households who often feel overlooked.\n\n(Reference: Pura Vida PDF )\n</div></dd>\n<dt name=\"textarea-1758648114412-0\">What is the problem your idea aims to address?</dt>\n<dd id=\"textarea-1758648114412-0\" name=\"textarea\"><div>Caregivers raising special-needs youth often experience high stress, emotional exhaustion, and little to no safe respite options. Many face:\n\t•\tlong waitlists for services\n\t•\tcultural and language barriers\n\t•\toverwhelming IEP and medical demands\n\t•\tlimited mental-health support\n\t•\t24/7 caregiving without breaks\n\t•\tfinancial strain and isolation\n\nFamilies consistently report feeling invisible and unsupported by traditional systems. This project directly addresses these gaps by providing free respite, wellness support, emotional healing spaces, and advocacy guidance for households navigating neurodiversity, trauma, and daily challenges.\n\nThis program is equity-focused and serves neighborhoods with high numbers of families with special-needs youth, low-income households, and underserved communities requiring trauma-informed care.\n\n(Reference: Family Need Statement from PDF )\nThe Family Wellness & Respite Program improves the community by:\n\t•\treducing caregiver burnout\n\t•\tpreventing household crises\n\t•\timproving children’s emotional regulation\n\t•\tstrengthening family stability\n\t•\tproviding high-quality respite in underserved neighborhoods\n\t•\tlowering emergency incidents involving youth with special needs\n\t•\tincreasing access to mental-health and disability resources\n\t•\tfostering cultural healing and community connection\n\nBy supporting caregivers, we strengthen entire households. When families feel connected, safe, and supported, neighborhoods become healthier, calmer, and more resilient.</div></dd>\n<dt name=\"checkbox-group-1756922140917-0\">Which groups does your idea focus on? Select all that apply</dt>\n<dd id=\"checkbox-group-1756922140917-0\" name=\"checkbox-group\"><div alt=\"youth\">Youth (under 24)</div></dd>\n</dl></xml>"]
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