Graphic of Lewis County's Reliable Enterprises, a nonprofit that supports the needs of the disadvantaged and disabled

Contact:
Reliable Enterprises,
203 W. Reynolds Ave.
Centralia, WA 98531
Phone: (360) 736-9558
Fax: (360) 736-1436

Reliable Enterprises is a 501(c)(3) and a United Way Agency.

Reliable Enterprises supports the needs of the community's adults and children who are physically, mentally, or economically disadvantaged.

Newsletters

From time to time we publish newsletters, including Parent to Parent of Lewis County. Following is the online edition of this comprehensive newsletter published by the Family Support Network of Lewis County. The newsletter reflects the comprehensive information and resources available about services and policy issues for people with developmental disabilities and those who support them.

Revised and Updated with Child Find schedule, more Community Education classes, community events, Autism awareness and more!

2012

Parent to Parent of Lewis County, January-February 2012. Fever and Pain Medicines: Major Change Parents Need to Know: Parents need to be aware of a major change in children's liquid acetaminophen products (such as Tylenol) available on store shelves. Since Summer 2011, manufacturers have changed the amount of acetaminophen in these medicines to one standard amount. Infant drops, which contain 3 times more medicine than the children's liquid, will be phased out and no longer available. However during this transition, you may find both concentrations on store shelves and in your home. Parents need to be aware that the dosing amounts are different depending on the concentration they are using....

2011

Parent to Parent of Lewis County, November-December 2011. Our son was born with 22 q 11.2 deletion and, we did not find this out until he was 2 years old and after his heart surgery. As of now I have not really connected locally with parents with a child with the same diagnosis. I have connected with parents with children with a developmental delay or different diagnosis, I have realized we may not have the same diagnosis, but we have the same emotions, behavioral problems, financial stresses, and parental support needed. So if you have a child with special needs, Autism, a diagnosis or no diagnoses, feel free to contact us. We can connect you with others going through the same process. Talking to others can really help....
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, September-October 2011. Many parents, educators and mental health professionals find the 1-2-3 Magic program can be especially useful for parents of special needs children. As long as the children who are being disciplined and motivated have a mental age of two years, 1-2-3 Magic can provide useful direction for parents of children with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, hearing impairment, visual impairment and autistic disorders....
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, July-August 2011. Bonding with your baby is probably one of the most pleasurable aspects of infant care. You can begin by cradling your baby and gently stroking him or her in different patterns. If you and your partner both hold and touch your infant frequently, your little one will soon come to know the difference between your touches. Each of you should also take the opportunity to be "skin to skin"....
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, May-June 2011. Many parents go through the hard battle of raising and disciplining children. Each child is different, and they have different temperaments, family structure, or outside influences....
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, March-April 2011. Do we know everyone and everything about our community? Probably not, but it is good to know resources out there that can benefit you, a family member, or friend. There is probably much more out there than we realize....
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, January-February 2011. In the past, fathers were the only ones to work outside the home. The mom was busy working hard to raise the children, cook, clean, and take care of the house. Times have changed and a majority of families have two working parents...

2010

Parent to Parent of Lewis County, November-December 2010. Winter is approaching faster then we like. According to the Centers for Disease Control, this is what you can do to prepare your home for you and your family. Plus: the importance of family mealtime...
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, September-October 2010. It is that time of year that our children are going back to school. Did you know that 1 out of 4 children are affected by bullies and 1 out of 4 children admit to being the bully. It is the inevitable, and it could happen to your child. Bullies have changed over the years. Now there are cyber-bullies...
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, July-August 2010. No one knows what to expect when they become a parent. It begins with sleepless nights, worrying about a fever that will not go down, a funny looking rash that you have never seen. No matter what the worry is over our children it seems as though it will never end, it is part of being a parent. Marriage is hard enough as it is. Making it work with your partner, remembering why you fell in love with one another during the hard times. Making it a priority to make time for each other and working the hard stuff out. Read this and more in the latest Parent to Parent of Lewis County Newsletter.
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, May-June 2010. Under the bill signed into law, "intellectual disabilities" would replace the term "mental retardation." Read this and more in the latest Parent to Parent of Lewis County Newsletter.
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, March-April 2010. Some children have countless appointments. Whether it is a routine appointment, or a specialist appointment, as the parent we are our child’s voice. It is our job to research and know what vaccine our children are due for at the next visit. If you want your child to have two vaccines at a time, you have the right to talk to the doctor about it and spread the vaccine process out. You have the right to ask questions, or call back if you think of some later. If your child is getting blood drawn and the nurse can’t seem to get it, you have the right to stop it and ask to have him warmed up or have someone else do it. As a parent we have to be proactive and take care of our children.
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, March-April 2010. Some children have countless appointments. Whether it is a routine appointment, or a specialist appointment, as the parent we are our child’s voice. It is our job to research and know what vaccine our children are due for at the next visit. If you want your child to have two vaccines at a time, you have the right to talk to the doctor about it and spread the vaccine process out. You have the right to ask questions, or call back if you think of some later. If your child is getting blood drawn and the nurse can’t seem to get it, you have the right to stop it and ask to have him warmed up or have someone else do it. As a parent we have to be proactive and take care of our children.
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, January-February 2010. Many parents receive the hardest news of their lives, something is different with your child. Whatever the diagnosis maybe, all parents have the same feeling, that we want our child to be perfect. No one expects to have a sick child or a child with a genetic disorder. The truth is that it happens. What do you do after a diagnosis? I did not know where to even begin. Our son had heart surgery for a right aortic arch vascular ring. I went in for a one week follow-up and found out that they tested him for Di George syndrome. I felt like I was hit by a truck.

2009

Parent to Parent of Lewis County, November-December 2009. Winter is approaching faster then some may like, and the last couple years have been devastating to Lewis County residents. The floods of 2007 and 2008 changed many of our lives. The heartache and devastation many families endured will never be forgotten. Many residents did get the opportunity to experience compassion and received help from people they did not know. Communities were able to experience kindness, and empathy from a complete stranger. It makes us realize that there are still nice people in this world.
Parent to Parent of Lewis County, September-October 2009. Parents of children with disabilities can get very overwhelmed going from one doctor’s appointment to the next. We have some ideas to help make your appointments a little less stressful.

Parent to Parent of Lewis County, July-August 2009. Special health care needs are very costly. Fifty percent of families currently in bankruptcy filed because of high medical bills. These families may feel isolated from other families for a variety of reasons, but are not alone. More money goes into health care in this country more than any other country, yet we don’t have adequate health care systems, especially for children with special health care needs.

Parent to Parent of Lewis County, May-June 2009. This issue is dedicated to Dads and Moms. Parenting is the hardest thing you will ever do in your lifetime. Being the parents of children with special needs, we sometimes forget to look at the lighter, funny and unique things that all parents experience. See page 6 if you are the parent of a teenager and Happy Mother’s Day and Father’s Day from Parent to Parent.

Parent to Parent of Lewis County, March-April 2009. Our March-April newsletter includes transition information and resources to conferences, legislative calendar and updates and autism awareness. Parents and providers, please click on the link to take you to the appropriate survey and return them to us as soon as possible.
Parent Update Survey
Provider Update Survey
March 2009: Revised and Updated with Child Find schedule, more Community Education classes, community events, Autism awareness and more!