FirstStop helps military families with special needs children Published July 13, 2011 By 81st Training Wing Airman and family readiness center KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Frequent moves are nothing new to military families. The excitement of a new place is felt along with the anxiety of being in unfamiliar surroundings. Finding where to go to meet needs and interests can be a daunting task for any family. For families who have a child with a disability, finding necessary resources can be challenging. There's a feeling of starting over with every change of station. For families who have already made the transition to a new location, having a child with a special need can be an ongoing challenge. Now there's help for area families of all branches of the military, active duty, reserves and retired. First Stop is a program for military families with a child who has a special need, particularly a developmental delay. "The mission of First Stop is to improve the quality of life for military families by assisting them in locating appropriate services," said Maggie Landry, who's been working at Keesler in the airman and family readiness center under a University of Southern Mississippi grant since January. She'll meet with families at Keesler, other area military installations, the USM Gulf Park campus in Long Beach or at their homes, whatever is most convenient. The grant is part of the Family Support 360 grants funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. The grant was awarded to USM's Institute for Disability Studies in October 2009. IDS is the university center for excellence in developmental disabilities for the entire state. "With southern Mississippi having such a large military population, the Gulf Coast is fortunate to have this program to assist families," Landry pointed out. She explained that family members must be under age 25 to be eligible for the program. Families meet with trained program staff members to determine their needs and develop an effective family plan. The program staff then assists families in linking to state or community services and services offered through the grant and USM. Staff members can also assist families in negotiating with existing community or military-based services that aren't currently meeting their needs. For more information about First Stop, call 376-8703.