While It Takes a Village is about sharing knowledge and experiences, there are other great resource guides available, too. Here are some of our favorites at the Massachusetts level:

• The Federation for Children with Special Needs (FSCN) - FCSN works with families with children from birth to adulthood, providing individual assistance, training, and leadership development and support. They focus on education, early intervention, health care, transitions, children in foster care and group homes, and building strong family engagement to support all children, especially those children with disabilities, those at risk, and those with economic, cultural or linguistic barriers. They have free virtual classes, a hotline, and other resources available for free to families in Massachusetts.
• Family TIES of Massachusetts - Family TIES is part of FCSN. They also offer trainings and support, including a parent peer support network and an exhaustive booklet of resources.
• Community Support Line - the Department of Public Health's Division for Children & Youth with Special Health Needs has a toll-free support line at (800) 882-1435. Those who answer the phones are extremely knowledgeable on all available state-wide resources and can provide specific recommendations based on your child's diagnoses and your family situation.

While It Takes a Village is about sharing knowledge and experiences, there are other great resource guides available, too. Here are some of our favorites at the national level:

• Librarey - Where rare disease families find and share resources.
• Courageous Parents Network - Similar to It Takes a Village, CPN orients and empowers parents and others caring for children with serious medical conditions, by providing resources and tools that reflect the experience and perspective of other families and clinicians.
• The Arc - An organization advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Easterseals - Provides on-the-ground supports as well as resource recommendations for people with disabilities, their families, and their communities.