Help Parents Co-parent with Empathy

Hi! My name is Raquel, and I am a mom of a child with learning differences. I am on a mission:

To help parents who are co-parenting a child with disabilities.

In that effort, I have created this GoFundMe program in order to raise the funds for creating the Parental Education Stabilization Course for parents in the State of Florida.

It is an Educational Program that will provide information tailored to children who have disabilities, learning differences, or emotional concerns. Together with my team, we are hoping to have this course in place by the end of this year, 2021.

As you can imagine, this is impossible to accomplish without help. I have put together a team of writers, therapists, educators, legal advisors, and other professionals in order to build this course. Our goal for this GoFundMe drive is to cover the cost of our writers. We have an amazing team behind us, but we need your help to produce the final project!

This program has been on my heart for a long time. I have a child who has learning differences. She is amazing, beautiful, and bright. Just as I want her to have a chance at success in school and in life, I want all children with these needs to have the support toward fulfilling their dreams. I know you feel that way about your children too.

Unfortunately, when separation or divorce happens in the family, the foundation you have built for that success can become less secure. Both you, your co-parent, and your child struggle to know how to proceed, let alone with compassion and empathy.

I have experienced this firsthand. After spending years building a foundation that ensured my child had the support she needed to succeed at school and in life with learning differences, I went through a divorce and was shocked to find out that other parents in similar situations did not have the resources or support needed to co-parent their child with empathy and understanding.

Parents like me were struggling to figure out how to co-parent their children with disabilities.

Understanding this, I have been working with the State of Florida throughout the year to pass a bill amendment that requires education to divorced and separated parents who are struggling to co-parent their children with disabilities. They do not know how to navigate this new road and are often also in a state of trauma from this new situation.

The children in the family also are struggling. They need a safe and healthy home and the knowledge that their parents are doing what’s best for them. In order for that to happen, parents need resources and education. They need support and collaboration. They need to learn how to communicate and understand themselves, their co-parent, and their children with empathy and understanding, even as they too are undergoing their own trauma and grief.

Until recently, the Florida laws that have been set in place to protect children in the event of a separation or divorce have not taken into consideration the care of children with disabilities. Though a general parenting class is required, it is incomplete when it comes to the specific needs, leaving parents at a loss in how to manage this shared responsibility.

Looking at the established parenting plan laws, I was disappointed to find that the required 4 hour online parenting class failed to include any education regarding how to empathize and assist a child with disabilities. When I tried to communicate my concerns, I was told there was no Florida law on co-parenting a child with disabilities.

Emboldened by the need to support my daughter and given the opportunity to help other parents, I presented this problem to the Florida State legislature early this year and was encouraged by their response. They too saw the need and on June 16, 2021, my proposed amendment to the Parent Education and Stabilization Course bill was passed.

As you can imagine, I was ecstatic that my voice was heard! Now, with my team, we are creating the course needed to put this new Florida State bill amendment to work.

In an effort to plan, write, and present the course we are in need of your monetary support. Our team is dedicated to the success of this course, and therefore, have already begun organizing and writing it. But we need your help to keep it going! This initial GoFundMe project is in an effort to pay our writers. A lot of time and effort goes into composing and producing a great course, and we want to provide the best resources and education for empowering these families in a time of need.

Because this is such an important course for the future of families, we have applied for a 501c3 Non-profit status. We will be registered with the State of Florida as the Parental Education Stabilization Course Corp. This should go into effect soon.

Please help us complete this mission of creating a course that will change the future of families who are already struggling to find the necessary resources for their children with disabilities and now must navigate their way through divorce.

The Parental Education Stabilization Course is ultimately a course that will empower parents and their children to receive the care and support needed to succeed in life. With your help, we can make an effective change with education. Your support benefits all families and children with disabilities who are going through a divorce or separation and need resources that teach empathy and understanding.

Thank you in advance for your donation and your support! We can’t do this without you. We are so grateful for your kindness and love toward these families and their children.