Barry ISD Parent Advisory Committee

04/14/2026

Join us for a FREE Y event to kick off summer on May 2nd from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.! Enjoy camp activities, games, healthy snacks, and much more. We’ll be at Camp Algonquin for an active morning of fun. We hope to see you there!

03/29/2026

03/29/2026

03/19/2026

03/19/2026

Last week, we met with community leaders to discuss the state of employment for people with disabilities in Barry County.

Employment is one of the strongest predictors of community inclusion. Many employers who hire people with disabilities report that these employees are among their most consistent and reliable team members.

At the same time...
👩‍⚕️66% of people with disabilities in rural areas and 63% in semi-rural areas are unemployed.
🧑‍🦯‍➡️23% of people with disabilities in rural and semi-rural areas experience poverty.
👨‍🦽‍➡️50% of rural adults who are not in the workforce say it is because of a disability or illness.

We're working to build partnerships, expand support services, and strengthen connections between organizations supporting employment to build a Barry County where everyone has access to meaningful employment.

03/19/2026

Meeting the mental health needs of students is important for their success at home and at school.

Our partners at are joining us on April 22 for a free webinar on Supporting Student Mental Health.

Learn about school-based mental health initiatives, family approaches, and helpful resources. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2h9ymupd

Visit our website calendar for full details, more learning opportunities, and easy registration https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/upcoming-events/

03/19/2026

Looking to connect with other families?

Register today for Play & Learn: https://www.theabilitycollective.org/play-learn

👶Who: Children 6 mo-7y old who might benefit from extra developmental support or who have a disability, and their caregiver(s)
📍Location: The Ability Collective of Barry County office, 118 W. State St, Hastings, MI
⏰When: Thursdays from 9:30-10:30 am
📋Registration helps our team prepare for the best experience possible.

Email [email protected] for questions.

This program is made possible by the generous support of Barry Community Foundation and our community.

02/25/2026

Whether it is a physical disability, autism, ADHD, or any other disability, many families have a family member with a disability and would like to know more about how that affects parenting and family relationships. This presentation will serve as a brief overview of parenting when you have a disability, parenting a child with a disability, and sibling relationships and experiences when one sibling has a disability. Tuesday, February 24 from 7:30-9pm ET on Zoom. Certificates and MIRegistry credit are available. Registration is required: https://bit.ly/winter2026extras

Please contact Courtney Aldrich, [email protected], with questions.

02/13/2026

🥳Registration Open!

We are thrilled to finally open registration for our Play & Learn community. Starting March 5, groups will take place each week on Thursdays from 9:30-10:30 am.

Our Play & Learn groups bring together children with disabilities or who need developmental support and their caregivers in a small, welcoming space. Caregivers connect, children play, and each month a guest expert helps address common questions and concerns.

Space is very limited! Visit https://www.theabilitycollective.org/play-learn for more details (pardon our dust- our website is under construction 🔨)

👶Who: Children 6 mo-7y old who might benefit from extra developmental support or who have a disability, and their caregiver(s)
📍Location: The Ability Collective of Barry County office, 118 W. State St, Hastings, MI
⏰When: 9:30-10:30 am, every Thursday. You will be able to sign up for weeks once you've registered to join the community.
📋Register: We strongly encourage registration. Our space is limited, and we may need to turn families away if we reach capacity. Registration also helps our team prepare for the best experience possible.

Email [email protected] for questions 🫶

This program is made possible by the generous support of Barry Community Foundation and our community.

02/13/2026

Parents of young children are invited to join our Building Parent Leadership Skills in Early Childhood webinar series.

This interactive four-part series is designed for parents whose children have received or are currently receiving Early On services. This a great opportunity to learn how your lived experience can strengthen programs for our youngest learners and help support families across Michigan.

Please share this opportunity with other parents of children (birth to 8 years old) who may want to join us.

Four Thursdays: February 26, March 5, 12 & 19 from 9:30–10:30AM
Details at https://tinyurl.com/BPLspring2026

Full calendar of upcoming learning opportunities at https://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/upcoming-events/