FOCUS

03/12/2026

FOCUS Parent Workshops Presents: Navigating Challenges and Resolving Conflict at School

📆March 19, 2026 | 10 am | via Zoom
Register: https://focus-ga.org/events/

📒Join special education advocate Heather Wright, M.Ed., for a webinar on building effective partnerships with your child’s school team. Whether you’re just beginning the IEP or 504 process or navigating ongoing challenges, this session will give you practical strategies for collaborative problem-solving. You’ll learn: Common sources of conflict in special education and how to address them proactively. The difference between assertive and aggressive advocacy and why it matters. Techniques for working collaboratively with school teams to meet your child’s needs. How to prioritize concerns, propose solutions, and know when to compromise. Learn more about Heather on her webpage.

Parent Workshops are held through Zoom. Participants will stay muted until Q&A at the end of the presentation. These Workshops are educational workshops for parents of children with disabilities. Recordings will be available on our “Recorded Workshops" page within the week.

03/10/2026

03/09/2026

FOCUS Parent Workshops Presents: Special Needs Financial Planning Webinar

📆March 16, 2026 | 10 am | via Zoom
Register: https://focus-ga.org/events/

📒Preparing for the future takes on a whole new dimension with a special needs dependent. Taking the proper precautions to protect your loved ones, while still enhancing their quality of life, takes careful consideration and care in preparation. Join us for a financial planning overview as we discuss the steps you should take today as you envision your loved one’s future.

Parent Workshops are held through Zoom. Participants will stay muted until Q&A at the end of the presentation. These Workshops are educational workshops for parents of children with disabilities. Recordings will be available on our “Recorded Workshops" page within the week.

03/09/2026

Extra Special Saturday Respite is a wonderful time for children to enjoy free play, music therapy, and extra attention from FOCUS caregivers and volunteers. These hours of free childcare give parents the opportunity to enjoy a break, run an errand, or take a nap!

Extra Special Saturday Respite
📆When: March 28th from 10 AM- 2 PM
📍Where: Embry Hills UMC

Eligibility
• Have lifelong developmental and/or physical disabilities. Some common diagnoses include but are not limited to cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, spina bifida, degenerative illnesses, and rare genetic syndromes.
• Be age 1-12 at the date of respite.
• Willing to stay with a group and function in a 1:4 caregiver to child ratio.
• Have no recent instances of elopement or wandering away.

What Makes ESS Respite Unique?
• A nurse is available to manage G-tube feedings, seizures, and other medical care.
• Toileting attendants on staff for diaper changes and support restroom reminders.
• Staff are knowledgeable and experienced in caring for children with special needs.
• Ratio of caregiver to child is 1:4, but community volunteers are often on hand to help and play.

Learn more at https://focus-ga.org/program/extra-special-saturday-respite/

03/09/2026

The FOCUS annual Dinner, Dance, and Silent Auction was amazing! Guests were as lovely as can be and dressed so beautifully. The auction items that were donated by businesses and individuals were fabulous! We are so grateful for everyone who supported our annual gala and made it a huge success. We are so grateful to be able to celebrate our honorees who bring hope to light, the Ladd Family, Stephanie Henderson, and Dr. Jon Popler.

03/05/2026

Over the weekend, FOCUS hosted our annual Dinner, Dance, and Auction. It was a great success! We are grateful to these wonderful companies for donating to our silent auction. Funds raised from these fine items help to make an amazing impact for our families.

We give a HUGE Thank You to these amazing companies:
American Axes, Fox Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Kendra Scott, Great Wolf Lodge, Kaldi's Coffee, Capital Genealogy, Total Wine & More, High Museum, Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Chandra Holland Portraits, Shakespeare Tavern, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia Aquarium, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, Nicole Brooks Portraits, TopGolf, Barbee's Baubles, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Gwinnett Stripers, Georgia Vine & Voyage, Tory Burch, James Avery, Ballard Designs

03/02/2026

Our hearts are filled with so much gratitude with the incredible generosity from the Georgia employees at CareSource. They gave an amazing donation to FOCUS in support of our programs.

THANK YOU so much! You are truly making a everyday life BETTER for children, teens, and young adults with disabilities and their families!
❤️

03/02/2026

Do you need help completing your equipment grant application?

📣Attend our Equipment Grant Application Workshop!

🗣Spanish translation is available!

📆Thursday, March 5th
🕐9am – 2pm
📍FOCUS Office | 3825 Presidential Parkway, Suite 103 | Atlanta, GA 30340

The next equipment grant application deadline is March 15!

Learn more about the equipment program and eligibility at https://focus-ga.org/program/equipment-grant-program/.

Come to the FOCUS office and get assistance filling out the application.

If you bring with you:
🎯a recent photo of your child (in wheelchair if applicable)
🎯a letter of medical necessity (completed and signed by therapist)
🎯Current Tax Return, SSI letter or SNAP eligibility
🎯Vendor’s Equipment Quote
You can be finished that day and turn everything in.

02/28/2026

February 28th is Rare Disease Day

Today is a day to bring awareness and generate change for the 300 million people around the world living with a rare disease.

Check out the RareDiseaseDay.org website to learn more.

02/24/2026

FOCUS celebrates Elana Meyers Taylor on winning her first Olympic Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics🥇! We are so happy and excited for her!

Her victory was one of the most beautiful moments, with Elana signing to her two sons telling them their mother was now an Olympic champion.

Such a sweet moment and we celebrate this amazing accomplishment with her!!

02/19/2026

Extra Special Saturday Respite is a wonderful time for children to enjoy free play, music therapy, and extra attention from FOCUS caregivers and volunteers. These hours of free childcare give parents the opportunity to enjoy a break, run an errand, or take a nap!

Extra Special Saturday Respite: Parent's Night Out Edition!!!
📆When: March 7th from 5PM - 8PM
📍Where: Alpharetta Presbyterian Church 180 Academy Street Alpharetta

Eligibility
• Have lifelong developmental and/or physical disabilities. Some common diagnoses include but are not limited to cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, spina bifida, degenerative illnesses, and rare genetic syndromes.
• Be age 1-12 at the date of respite.
• Willing to stay with a group and function in a 1:4 caregiver to child ratio.
• Have no recent instances of elopement or wandering away.

What Makes ESS Respite Unique?
• A nurse is available to manage G-tube feedings, seizures, and other medical care.
• Toileting attendants on staff for diaper changes and support restroom reminders.
• Staff are knowledgeable and experienced in caring for children with special needs.
• Ratio of caregiver to child is 1:4, but community volunteers are often on hand to help and play.

Learn more at https://focus-ga.org/program/extra-special-saturday-respite/