Families as Classroom Teachers (FACT) and Families as Mentors (FAM) are programs that allow students and future medical staff to know what families experience when they have a child with a chronic or long lasting illness and/or disability. Families teach students that the physical signs are only a small part of living with a child who has chronic illness or disability.

Goals: 

• Improve communication between doctors, medical staff and families
• Improve the understanding of issues that families encounter
• Improve the sharing of information and resources with families
• Promote family centered care values (http://www.ipfcc.org/faq.html) 

FACT/FAM families teach students and future medical staff about:  

• How to talk to families
• Family problems
• Child development and learning issues
• Medicine, therapy and child care challenges
• Supporting family’s needs
• Grief and emotions

Families can be a part of the program by giving classroom presentations about their experiences (FACT) or by letting students visit their home to learn about how their family lives with a chronic illness/disability (FAM).

If you and your family want to be part of the program, please fill out the family participation application form or read more about the program on the Family information page.

Teachers and students who want to have a home visit or have a family come to your class room, please contact us by filling out a classroom request form or by phone at (615) 936-2558. 

If you have been in a class room talk or gone on a home visit, please complete one of the review forms below:

• Instructor
• Student
• Family

Read a story about FACT/FAM.