When you discover your baby is deaf, it can feel overwhelming.
90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents and JDA is the only charity in the UK providing specialist support for Jewish families with deaf children.
Raising a deaf child requires you to embrace a whole new world. JDA Family Services are here to guide you and show you the joy that can follow.
Meet the Team
Jody, JDA Family Services Manager
Jody established our Family Services in 2001 when searching for a group of Jewish deaf children for her own deaf child to join. Seeing the lack of resources, she created her own – JDA Family Services!
From its early days with just a handful of children, it has grown to what is now a wonderful community of families. Jody prides herself on providing a personal touch and loves meeting new families and their children.
Joanna, JDA Family Services Development Lead
Joanna joined JDA in November 2023 to develop our youth programme. As a parent of a deaf child with cochlear implants, Joanna understands the challenges families face. She is passionate about connecting families and encouraging new relationships to develop between Jewish deaf children and youth.
Services for families with deaf children
Family Support
We offer personalised support for each and every one of our families, including:
- Visiting you and your child at home
- Regularly checking in to see if you need help or support
- Accompanying you during medical appointments or school visits
- Assisting with big decisions about hearing technology or school placements
- Organising fun activities and events for your child
- Connecting you to other families with deaf children
- Helping you to access local government support
- Signposting you to relevant specialist services
Contact us to learn more about how we can support your family.
Your Child’s Education
We care about your child’s education and are here to support you. Whether you need help with your child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or if you want deaf awareness training for your child’s school, we can help.
We produce deaf aware teaching materials and can also organise sessions with specific classes to teach hearing children about how to understand and communicate with their deaf peers.
Contact us to find out how we can support your child’s education.
Social Events and Activities
We organise fantastic social events and activities for our families and a biennial Fun Day, which is a great way for JDA children to socialise with their deaf friends and for families to meet and bond.
To boost confidence and self-esteem, we run two social programmes:
- DClub for deaf children aged 9–14
- DClub Mini for deaf children aged 5–8
These clubs offer events and outings where Jewish children can socialise regularly with their deaf peers.
Contact us to find out more about our social events and activities.