Kesher, the Home for Special Families

In Israel there are 320,000 children with special needs, behind every child there is a family.
 
Every family with its own unique story. Imagine living in a family whose child's disability prevents him from eating, getting dressed and walk independently, or a family whose child is deafness that help him to communicate in sign language and prepares him to function in hearing society.
These are the families of "kesher".
 
Families that love and raise their special children in a complex reality, with inspiring dedication. These families face struggles in all aspects of life: economical, social, occupational, and even at home. They do it every day with devotion, faith and diligence – helping their children to advance and develop.
Special families are the power behind special children, and we are here to help and support.

In November 2016, Kesher held its annual parent leadership conference in Holon, where a group of Kesher-trained “special parents” took an active role in conference organization and implementation. The conference attracted 200 participants - Jewish and Arab, religious and secular, parents and professionals. Participants came from over 40 locations – including both cities where Kesher has initiated “Special Communities” of parents raising children with disabilities as well as places which have not yet participated in the “Special Communities” leadership course.

The main topic of the conference was how to effectively promote and publicize the special communities’ work, with sessions led by professional campaign managers, public relations specialists and more. Participants received information on topics such as developing program models, social activism, the government decision making process and basic PR tools.

In addition to promoting the work of local communities, the conference also stressed the importance of work on the national level.

Links:

• http://www.horimbekesher.co.il/en/124.html

On May 22^nd, Kesher headlined a mini-conference at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange designed to raise awareness of the numerous employment challenges faced by parents raising children with special needs in Israel. At the conference, organized by Kesher in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, the Ruderman Family Foundation and JDC-TEVET, Kesher presented the results of its groundbreaking research on the topic of “special parent” employment. The research study, conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Economy’s Economic Research Division, surveyed hundreds of parents raising children with special needs in order to assess their main employment challenges and needs. The survey, which was reported on in Israel’s major economic papers (links below), highlighted the many difficulties these parents face in finding and maintaining quality employment. The mini-conference was the first step in increasing awareness and finding solutions to these challenges

Links:

• http://www.horimbekesher.co.il/en/124.html