Counseling for special needs parents can be extremely powerful.
Imagine what it would feel like to say goodbye to your child because she was born with special needs.
No parent should have to even contemplate abandoning their child. And yet, this is the reality for so many parents of children with special needs in China.
Raising a child with Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, or other special needs can mean a difficult life of medical bills, lack of education, and social isolation for the entire family.
Hope Station’s Family Strengthening Program helps families raising children with special needs to stay together.
April is Counseling Awareness Month. Counseling and encouraging these brave parents is an integral part of this support.
The pressures that special needs parents face are overwhelming:
“My son Junxi was diagnosed with a degenerative bone disease. Because of the unique diagnosis, he had to receive long-term treatment and medication. Our family’s financial situation was very difficult. His cognitive understanding and motor coordination were very poor. Junxi’s father and I were really troubled, and we broke down when thinking about our child’s situation.”
“Our family is under great pressure, so it is easy to give up…”
“In the past two days, we have consulted with the local government agencies about XiaoHang’s application for government subsidies, because XiaoHang is about to turn 18, and we want to apply for the government’s welfare subsistence allowance for him. But it is very difficult to apply. This makes me very frustrated and angry.”
Mental health counseling for parents is an integral part of supporting children with special needs. Families that do receive counseling and encouragement are better equipped to care for their children in difficult circumstances:
“I especially like to join the education sessions hosted by Hope Station, so that I can understand how to get along with my child, and become healthier and more relaxed physically, mentally and spiritually.”
“Hope Station not only helps my child, but also cares for me personally through mental health counseling, gives me great spiritual support, and helps me and my child walk out of our family’s collapse little by little!”
“Sometimes life feels very stressful. I’m very grateful to Hope Station staff for their concern for us. Last week they even scheduled a counseling session for me, which really helped me a lot.”
This Counseling Awareness Month, we invite you to make a special gift to support counseling for parents of children with special needs in China. By supporting these brave parents, your generosity can keep children in families.
