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Doreen Hodges, the mother of a young child, Titus, who has Down Syndrome, is a tireless advocate for children with special needs. She is a member of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Children with Special Health Care Needs Advisory Committee. As a member of the committee, she has reviewed grant applications, participated in DOH workshops and conferences, and served as a parent representative. She also provides information and advocacy for families of children with special needs, and has established a support group called DC Downs for parents of children with Down Syndrome. DC Downs is affiliated with the National Down Syndrome Society of New York City.

Ms. Hodges is relentless in her commitment to children with special needs and she is always enthusiastic about children with special needs and their families. She provides leadership for her cause, and is very dedicated to the families she assists.

Dr. McMorris, currently a pediatric consultant for children with special health care needs, has more than 30 years of utilizing medical skills, knowledge and experience in working to promote the health and well being of children with special health care needs and their families. She developed the Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN) program at DC General and was instrumental in making it a full-service, state of the art clinic because of its comprehensive service delivery. With her assistance, the District of Columbia government was able to provide comprehensive, continuous, family-centered, culturally competent care to children with special health care needs.

The reason she became a pediatrician and works with children with special needs is that she saw a need and wanted to fill it. She is the founding Chairperson of the Children with Special Health Care Needs Advisory Committee where she has utilized her organizational skills and leadership in assisting the Maternal and Family Health Administration, Children with Special Health Care Needs Division in the development of a premiere Division dedicated to the compassionate coordination and development of a system of care for children with special needs.

The positive benefits of Dr. McMorris’ work and dedication are evident in many ways, but specifically, she is responsible for many children with special needs receiving comprehensive, continuity of care. In fact, many of her former patients still seek her out. Over the years, she has been an effective advocate and worked to get local and national funding for needed services and programs. Working with children with specials needs has never been just a job to Dr. McMorris; she has made a life-long commitment to serve them and their families. Directly and indirectly, she has had a positive impact on the District’s children with special needs.

FASA is a rally active children’s and family support organization in the District of Columbia. Their primary focus is on trying to ensure that children have full access to mental health and special education services. They hold monthly meetings so that parents of children with special needs can discuss their concerns and issues regarding the special education process and mental health issues. They also help these parents to navigate the necessary systems of care. FASA also holds an annual conference to address topics that are of most importance to their parents and families. FASA is a true advocacy organization. They advocate on behalf of their clients, but they also provide training to parents and families so that they can become effective advocates for themselves. FASA staff members are always available to provide support to their parents and families, usually to attend Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and parent/teacher meetings.

They work with dedication and diligence at every level to ensure that their children, parents, and families have full access to the services that they need. They are an organization that speaks directly and openly about the hard and pressing issues at hand and they are not afraid to say what is necessary.