Community Councils

Feeding Matters has formed community councils in Ohio, Southern California, and Arizona. These states have been determined based on increased engagement across our volunteer, donor, conference, and family community.  The community councils utilize a grassroots effort to raise awareness and raise funds for pediatric feeding disorder (PFD).

Pediatric Feeding Disorder: Early Identification

Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET – 8:00 PM ET
Presenter: Jaclyn Pederson, MHI, Feeding Matters CEO
Available for ASHA CEUs and Ohio OT CEUs. Sponsored by Ohio Occupational Therapy Association.

Ohio is a unique state with densely populated cities and vastly rural regions. There is significant need to create equitable access for children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) across diverse communities, which are impacted by their proximity to care and socioeconomic differences. While the state is also home to 5 large pediatric hospital systems, focus groups including community-based clinicians, report delayed identification for at-risk children and lack of education for community providers related specifically to feeding. This presentation will introduce participants to the Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire (ICFQ), enabling participants to screen for pediatric feeding disorder and make timely referrals for services when appropriate. More than one in 37 American children under the age of five annually receive a diagnosis of, and currently have, a pediatric feeding disorder (PFD), according to a new nationwide study led by The Medical College of Wisconsin in partnership with Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions. This makes PFD more prevalent than well-known childhood conditions such as cerebral palsy and autism.

Citation: Kovacic K, Rein, ScM LE, Bhagavatula P, Kommareddy S, Szabo A, Goday PS, Pediatric Feeding Disorder: A Nationwide Prevalence Study, The Journal of Pediatrics (2020), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.07.047.

Presentation Summary
This presentation will provide an overview of the diagnostic criteria for pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) along with introducing participants to the Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire (ICFQ), enabling participants to screen for pediatric feeding disorder and make timely referrals for services when appropriate.

Learning Objectives
Course participants will be able to:

• Define the diagnostic criteria pediatric feeding disorder (PFD), including 4 contributing domains
• Examine the Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire (ICFQ), including psychometric properties
• Identify how implementation for the ICFQ will lead to increased early referral in Ohio

View time-ordered agenda here.

Disclosures
Financial: Jaclyn Pederson, MHI receives a salary from Feeding Matters.
Non-Financial: Jaclyn Pederson, MHI is CEO of Feeding Matters.

Register for the event here.

See how our community councils are impacting their community.

Ohio

• Fundraising event held in Cleveland in April
• Feeding Matters staff visited Northeast Ohio hospital systems
• Planning a PFD educational opportunity for continuing education this fall
• Ongoing outreach and education throughout the state

Southern California 

• Fundraising event to be held in Los Angeles in October
• Ongoing outreach throughout the region

Role description:

• Attend community council meetings (1-2 hours every month)
• Assist with cultivation/solicitation of prospective donors (approximately 1-2 hours a month).
• Attend community activation and awareness events

We are currently looking for council members in the following locations. Apply today to serve in your
area! Interested in starting a community council in your area? Let us know!