Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Hope Advocate?

A Hope Advocate is a parent who has a child with Down syndrome, who agrees to use their story to bring hope to a new parent of a child with Down syndrome. They sign up to become a Hope Advocate, and receive a personalized Hope Kit in the mail. When their Hope Kit arrives they give information to their medical professional and agree to be a resource to their doctor and their patients. More information will be included in the Hope Kit.

Why Do I have to be the Parent of a Child with Down Syndrome in Order to Be a Hope Advocate?

One of our goals is to connect every OB/GYN in America to a family raising a child with Down syndrome, who in turn, can connect their patients to them. We call these families Hope Advocates. If you aren’t the parent of a child with Down syndrome there are still other ways you can help us bring hope to others. Please drop us a line, we’d like to hear from you. Also, please be sure to sign up for our email list so we can stay connected!

Why Does My Child Need to be Older than One Year Old in Order to Become a Hope Advocate?

First, thank you for your interest in becoming a Hope Advocate! The first year of being a parent in general can be a lot of work. We want you to focus on your child the first year of being a parent of a child with Down syndrome. This first year will give you a lot of important experience that you will be able to use as a Hope Advocate.

How Do I Select a Good Picture for my Hope Announcements and Hope Advocate Contact Cards?

Every Hope Advocate will receive customized Hope Announcements and Hope Advocate Contact Cards in their Hope Kit. For the Hope Announcements we suggest a picture that shows you child’s personality, with good lighting. There will be text printed on the left side of the card, so it’s best to choose an image where your child is centered or on the right side of the image works best. For the Hope Advocate Contact Cards we suggest using your own picture (or a picture with you and your child.) Our hope is your medical professional gives your Hope Advocate Contact Cards out to their patients whose child is diagnosed with Down syndrome, so you want to picture to represent you. This is one of the first times a new parent will “see” you. If we can help, please contact us.