SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER ***** VIRTUAL PROGRAMS ARE UP & RUNNING
About Us
About Family Center on Deafness (FCD)
The mission of the Family Center on Deafness is to "empower Pinellas County's Deaf Community by providing opportunities to enhance communication, education and independence."
Family Center on Deafness (FCD) provides a wide variety of programs for families throughout Pinellas County. Participants come from households that include at least one individual who has significant hearing loss.
Services are consumer-driven, and determined by the current needs of the clients. An advisory Council composed of community members of all hearing levels determines its service and program priorities. The families themselves also take an active role in planning and hosting group activities. FCD has a formal, written collaboration with Pinellas County School Board and a number of other community / educational service providers.
- The FCD staff is uniquely qualified in the field of deafness, with an expertise in the social, psychological, developmental and educational impact of hearing loss. Their knowledge of Deaf Culture, American Sign Language make it possible to assist the needs of the community. The staff at FCD constantly strive to insure that participants are made aware of and are able to access potential resources in the community.
Programs and Services
Who is eligible for services?
To qualify to receive services, an individual or a member of his/her household must register at an intake with a physical address that lies within the boundaries of Pinellas County.
Eligible participants include:
- Youth (birth through completion of high school) who are deaf or hard of hearing, as determined by qualifying to receive educational support services for students with hearing loss
- Young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing, and left high school (graduated or dropped out) within the past twelve months or are in a post-high school Pinellas County Schools program.
Hearing youth who live with an adult or sibling who is D/HH* - Any parent or significant adult in the home of an individual falling in one of the categories above, whether D/HH* or hearing
- Any parent or other significant adult who is D/HH* and has school-aged children living at home
- When the above criteria have been met, the needs of the client are evaluated at intake to determine if the services offered by the FCD are appropriate to address the family's needs. Eligibility to receive program services is maintained by the individual's effort to achieve personal goals and appropriate use of program resources. *D/HH = deaf or hard of hearing.
Our Partners
