Advance-CTR

Tara is the mother of 3 children: Andrew, 16, who is has an undiagnosed neuromuscular condition which keeps him very limited in a physical capacity; Shamus, 12, and Grace, 8. Tara has expertise in dealing with systems of care for medically fragile children, as she has been caring for her son Andrew who is trached, on a ventilator, gtube fed, and is non-ambulatory. 

Tara has been working for RIPIN for more than 13 years. In her role, she assists families with children with special health care needs to receive family-centered care, access services available to them and help them advocate at the local, state and national level to create policies and awareness around needs and accessibility. 

Tara sits on numerous committees and workgroups providing the parent perspective and advocating for families to create better outcomes. In November of 2018, she was awarded RI Caregiver of the Year for her role as a mother to Andrew and her tireless advocacy for all RI families. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Special Education and previously taught at Toll Gate High School.