Best Buddies Family Support offers families the support and resources needed to navigate the journey of raising a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Eunie’s Buddies serves as a pioneering program within the Family Support initiative. It is named affectionately in honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics and a true hero who advocated tirelessly for positive change in the lives of individuals with IDD.

Eunie’s Buddies pairs experienced parents of a child with IDD with new parents who are expecting, have just welcomed a baby, or are raising a child up to the age of eight years old who has been recently diagnosed with IDD. This pairing creates a mentor-mentee connection and friendship. Eunie’s Buddies provides a framework offering parents and caregivers encouragement, emotional support, and valuable resources. Participation in Eunie’s Buddies helps families pave the way for a child with IDD to have an education, gainful employment, and a fulfilled life.

Matching

Mentors and mentees are paired based on similar diagnoses, interests, native language, and other factors to help ensure a meaningful connection.

Communication

Mentors and mentees communicate throughout the month by phone, virtually, texting, via email, social media, or written correspondence.

Meet-ups

When proximity allows for local mentorship connections, in-person meetings are encouraged every other month to foster deeper relationships through quality time spent together.

Mentor:

A mentor is an experienced parent or caregiver of a child with an IDD who offers support, encouragement, knowledge, and a unique perspective to a mentee. They are paired, in-person or virtually, with one mentee at a time to ensure a mutually enriching connection.

Mentee:

Have you recently received an IDD diagnosis for your child? We see you. We’ve been there and we understand you. Amidst the uncertainty of this moment, one thing is for sure: you are not alone.

You may be experiencing a range of overwhelming thoughts and emotions, which are absolutely normal. You may need time and space to process them. We are here to support you on your journey whenever you are ready. We will connect you with a mentor, a parent or caregiver of a child with a similar IDD diagnosis, who can offer a listening ear, insightful information, access to useful resources, encouragement, and genuine friendship. Your mentor is here to guide you step by step, at your own pace.

Based on your preference, priorities, needs, and expectations, you can choose to be paired with a local mentor or connect with a mentor virtually.

In-Person: for those who choose face-to-face interactions

You will initially connect via text and can meet in person whenever you are comfortable and the time feels right.

Please keep in mind that this option is only available in cities where Eunie’s Buddies is currently operating.

eMentorship: for families who prefer virtual connections

Sometimes your ideal match may be in a different location. You share similar diagnoses, interests, and backgrounds, but happen to live in different cities. A strong bond is still possible! You will be able to connect over the phone, video, text, or email. Please note that virtual mentorship could potentially limit the Mentor’s familiarity with local resources. However, you can benefit from connecting with someone with a similar experience who will be there for you!

At Best Buddies we see an IDD diagnosis as an invitation to embrace a new perspective and to discover the beauty of this experience. We know that a diagnosis is not a prognosis, and we are dedicated to helping families and individuals with IDD thrive.