Join our next Parent Network meeting

We want to hear from you! Parent Network meetings are an opportunity get feedback from families. This helps improve our programs and tailor them to meet families’ needs. And new ideas are welcome as well! 

  • Monday, May 22 at 6:30 PM
  • Thursday, May 25 at 12 noon

No RSVP needed. You can join via Zoom by phone or video:
• To join via video: zoom.us/j/7549091421 (If you join the video conference and have trouble with audio or low internet bandwith, you can also join by phone but stay on the video as well.)
• To join by phone, dial one of these numbers: 1-646-876-9923 or 1-669-900-6833. Enter the Meeting ID when prompted- 7549091421 and #(pound), then # again when prompted for a participant ID
• Or use “One tap mobile” on your smart phone by just entering the following (including commas): 16468769923,,7549091421#,,#

We are inviting:

  • Parents/ primary caregivers of children with special health care needs and/or disabilities under age 22
  • Who live in the 15 counties that are a part of the Northern Regional Center services area (map below).
  • And are willing to provide feedback and suggestions on CYSHCN supports and services

Image of 15 counties with those in the Northwest in green, Northern in blue, and central in Yellow

Connect and Share: Private Duty Nursing

Image with text- Connect and Share for families of children with disabilities and/or special health care needs

Connect and Share opportunities are for families of children with disabilities and/or special health care needs to connect with other families and discuss specific topics and share resources. 

Wednesday, June 7 at 6:00 PM: Private Duty Nursing- many parents cannot find this Medicaid service for their children who have complex medical needs. Family Voices of Wisconsin will join the discussion. 

No RSVP needed. You can join via Zoom by phone or video:
• To join via video: zoom.us/j/7549091421 (If you join the video conference and have trouble with audio or low internet bandwith, you can also join by phone but stay on the video as well.)
• To join by phone, dial one of these numbers: 1-646-876-9923 or 1-669-900-6833. Enter the Meeting ID when prompted- 7549091421 and #(pound), then # again when prompted for a participant ID
• Or use “One tap mobile” on your smart phone by just entering the following (including commas): 16468769923,,7549091421#,,#

Camps (Day, Summer, Respite)- Updated January 2023

Here is a list of camps The Northern Regional Center does not endorse any of these camps and this information is provided only as a resource. When considering camps there can be many options depending on your child’s needs and interests. You can talk to camps to see if they can accommodate your child or other parents who may have already had their children participate. 

  • Easter Seals Camp Wawbeek in Wisconsin Dells. Several camp options at different times of the year including transition, respite, autism, and adults.
  • Badger Camp: have many options for campers ages 3-21 with intellectual disabilities. One or two week sessions. For older kids they have travel and primitive camp options too. Near Praire Du Chein.
  • Wisconsin Lions Camp is is in Rosholt near Stevens Point. Week long camps for different types of disabilities including Blind/Low Vision, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Autism/Intellectual Disabilities, Epilepsy Diabetes. Wisconsin Lions Camp programs are free but have a lottery.
  • Timbertop Camp: summer camp for youth with specific learning disabilities/ special needs including AD/HD, SLD, Title 1, OHI that is held at the Wisconsin Lions Camp in Rosholt near Stevens Point. 
  • Camp Awesum fills up very quickly each year. Note that there have been some changes including a new online registration system. Additionally, Dr. Glenis Benson is no longer involved and the Youth Camp is on hold.
  • Variety Chatter Matters Camp at UW Whitewater is available to children ages 5-15 who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication and their families.
  • Wisconsin Youth Leadership Forum– occurs yearly in the summer at Edgewood College in Madison. Become a part of the youth that lead us! This week-long forum is for high school students with disabilities who want to learn more about leadership, self-advocacy skills, and career awareness.
  • Camp LuWiSoMo Joyful Hearts ministry is designed for individuals with developmental disabilities, providing a quality camping experience in a safe, Christian environment. All campers take part in the usual camp activities, but each activity is modified based on the needs of the camper. Located in Wild Rose, WI (south of Stevens Point)
  • Camp Daniel is an organization dedicated to providing people with disabilities opportunities for personal, social, and spiritual growth. Camp Daniel is rooted in its summer camping program that offers people with disabilities access to safe and fun Northwoods camping experiences, where the physical, social, and spiritual needs, that each person’s disability requires, are lovingly met. In Marinette County. 
  • Contact your county 4-H for information on your local camp opportunities. You can hear more about how Camp Susan has accommodated campers in the past with this video: youtu.be/IK4PcchE2es
  • Fort Wilderness camp near Rhinelander is another camp that parents have said their children with disabilities/ special health care needs have enjoyed
  • YMCA Camp Sturtevant in Wausau offers day camps for the entire summer as well as other opportunities. They do accept the child care subsidy and have camper scholarships. 
  • Rainbow’s End Day Camp for children 5-21 typically in July in Wausau. TBD if they will have camp in 2023. 
  • Numerous camps affiliated with the Paul Newman Foundation like Hole in the Wall Gang and Painted Turtle host weeks for specific disability groups across the country 
  • Bayfield County 4-H Summer Camp is available to youth not involved in 4-H as well as members. 

Our partners at Family Voices of Wisconsin created this list of camps across the state a few years ago if you are looking outside the area: familyvoiceswi.org/resource-library/1304/.

Cost of camps: Camps are funded in a variety of ways and the costs can vary greatly. Child care subsidies or a sliding fee scale may assist with camp. Some camps have scholarships available or you may be able to utilize CLTS funds for camp as respite. Give us a call, 715-261-1906, if you need help navigating all these options or want more information.

Fall Events and Updates

Here is a list of upcoming conferences and training. If a child receives CLTS, parents may utilize funds for training from the Children’s Long Term Support waiver by contacting their county Support and Service Coordinator. Many conferences also offer parent scholarships and we can also assist you in getting to these important events through scholarships for hotel and mileage. Give us a call at 715-261-1906 or email specialneedsinfo@co.marathon.wi.us

  • Transition Trainings- we are planning several transition trainings in person in the fall from our partners at the Youth Health Transition Initiative
    • Build Your Bridge: Moving from Child to Adult Health Care: Introduce and discuss when to start thinking about health care transition to adult care providers as well as offers helpful tools and resources.
    • Bridging the Gap: An overview of youth health transition with information tailored to different, mixed audiences (e.g., parents, teachers, nurses, etc.).
    • Dreaming Differently: To meet the needs of a unique audience, the “Build Your Bridge” curriculum has been adapted for families who are raising children with significant intellectual or developmental disabilities and medical complexity.
  • Trainings with Katie Berg through your local CESA
    • The Supporting Neurodiverse Students (SNS) Professional Learning System provides learning opportunities with a focus on regulation, social communication, flexibility, resilience, sensory processing, and executive functioning. It includes regional training sessions, virtual trainings, and virtual cohorts to support educators and families serving students with disability-related needs in the area of social and emotional learning.  
    • Virtual and In Person opportunities listed here 

IEP Clinic for Families

Saturday, October 8, 2022

9 AM- 12 Noon

Light Breakfast/ Snacks provided

Come learn about the parts of IEP process including the referral process, evaluations, writing the IEP, and revising the IEP. Bring your child’s IEP with you and there will time to also ask questions.

Provided in small groups via zoom by Nelsinia Ramos from WI FACETS:

  • Ashland, Northland Technical College Conference Room 306
  • Rhinelander, Quality Inn
  • Stevens Point, Midstate Independent Living Choices
  • Wausau, Northcentral Technical College