Meeting Schedule:
Saturday, 1/7/06
Saturday, 2/4/06

FCSN Conference:
"Visions of Community"
Saturday, March 4, 2006

FCSN Gala:
Friday, April 28, 2006

Welcome

Group Mision:Our mission is to share information, provide support and guidance to new families, through sharing our own experiences, seeking education, and finding resources related to learning all aspects of Down Syndrome, in order to better promote and assist the healthy growth of our children, so that they may become independent and contribute to their community. We value the multicultural benefit offered by the diverse origins of our participating members and the cultural enhancement of our own. We value and promote the knowledge gained through professionals, conferences and seminars, related to Down Syndrome matters.

General Information: In 1998 leaders from the Latin community became aware of the lack of resources and information available in Spanish that could help Latino families. They saw the need to gather together those families with Down Syndrome children and try to provide as much support as they can by offering a forum where they could meet, and information could be shared and discussed. While at the same time, providing the opportunity for parents to share their own experiences and thoughts in dealing as parents of children with Down Syndrome.

In 1999 this idea was implemented and in progress, due to the willingness and dedication of some families to form a support group where mutual sharing of information and assistance would take place. They started out meeting in public places and other public help organizations, until finally the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) provided the group help and resources to become and organized group. As of today the Federation continuous to support the Familias Latinas Unidas Por El Sindrome de Down (FLUPESD) group. The Federation helps the group in many ways such as to meet financial needs, group administration, they provide a conference room where our meetings are held every month, scholarships to Down Syndrome Seminars and Down Syndrome Conferences, child care, parking validation and logistics.

In 2000 the group adopted the name of Familias Latinas Unidas Por El Sindrome de Down (FLUPESD) and a committee was elected democratically to organize the group. At the same time a logo was designed to identify the group.

Our short term goals are to register our group as a non-profit organization with both the state and federal government. The group meets the first Saturday of each month, except during summer months, at the Federation for Children with Special Needs main office, located at 1135 Tremont Street, suite 420, Boston, MA 02120

From our start of six families, the group has grown to fourteen families and the doors continue to be open to welcome those families that seek to improve the life of their children with special needs .The group has been complemented and largely encouraged by those individuals working in the area of children with special needs and has been receiving unconditional support by distinguish persons in the field such as Dr. Richard Robison, Exeuctive Directore and Ms. Sara Miranda, Associate Executive Director of the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN), as well as by Joanna Maranian from the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress.