VIDBE-Q 2025 Volume 70 Issue 3
professionals and one another, while fostering long-term peer support networks.
Using Feeney and Collins' (2015) Thriving Framework, the study examined four
core supports that contribute to well-being: safe haven, fortification,
reconstruction, and reframing. Interviews and focus groups with 14 participating
mothers revealed how these elements were brought to life through the program.
The presentation will highlight the specific program components identified by
participants as contributing to their sense of thriving, offering practical insight into
how structured support can foster resilience, connection, and growth.
This session addresses a critical gap: the limited data on how parent support
programs impact families of children with visual impairments. When designed
with intention, parent training and support programs can align with the Division of
Early Childhood Recommended Practices (2014) by incorporating culturally
responsive strategies such as multilingual support, no-cost participation, and
diverse guest speakers. Although parent support models are widely used in early
childhood, few are tailored to the specific experiences of visual impairment or the
intersectional needs of families navigating disability and equity-related barriers.
Practitioners will gain concrete strategies for implementing or enhancing family
support programs through a strengths-based lens. These strategies include
promoting emotional well-being, fostering advocacy, and reinforcing family
resilience. Key takeaways will highlight how to structure programs with both
