Resources for Families Navigating Hearing Loss

How We Support Your Family

A hearing loss diagnosis raises questions that go beyond audiograms and equipment. Our team walks families through what the diagnosis means day to day, and helps you think through communication choices, whether that's spoken language, American Sign Language, or a combination of both, based on your family's goals rather than a one-size-fits-all recommendation.

Support Organizations

AG Bell (Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing): International nonprofit supporting listening and spoken-language development for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, with grant and mentoring programs.

BEGINNINGS (North Carolina): Guides NC families through diagnosis, communication choices, and early intervention with parent-to-parent support.

BEGINNINGS (South Carolina): the same guidance for SC families, at Beginnings SC.

Hands & Voices: National, parent-driven nonprofit supporting families of deaf or hard of hearing children, unbiased about communication method, with state-level chapters.

Hearing First: Builds listening and spoken-language skills for children with hearing loss through provider training and family resources.

Hearing Like Me: Phonak's storytelling platform sharing first-person experiences from people and families affected by hearing loss.

HLAA (Hearing Loss Association of America): National nonprofit offering peer support, education, and advocacy for people with hearing loss of all ages.

Hitch Up (Facebook group): A peer network connecting parents and guardians of children who are deaf or hard of hearing through regional playgroups and events.

Summer Camps

Camp Imagination (South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind): A summer camp combining STEAM learning, field trips, and adapted sports for children who are deaf or blind.

The C.A.R.E. Project: A nonprofit offering emotional wellness retreats, bonding activities, and support groups for families affected by hearing loss, across all ages.

LOFT (AG Bell Leadership Opportunities for Teens): A five-day summer leadership program building self-advocacy, confidence, and lifelong friendships for deaf and hard-of-hearing teens.

North Carolina Residents

• Carolina Children's Communicative Disorder's Program Grant (CCCDP): A UNC-based, state-funded program covering hearing aids and cochlear implants for eligible NC children through age 21, based on income and need.
• North Carolina Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program (NCTEDP): Provides free specialized telephone equipment, such as amplified or captioned phones, to NC residents with hearing loss.
• Assistive Technology Program (birth to 3 years): Supplies communication devices to infants and toddlers with disabilities as part of North Carolina's early intervention system.

South Carolina Residents

• BabyNet (birth to 3 years): South Carolina's early intervention program, coordinating hearing device funding and services for children from birth through age three.
• Vocational Rehabilitation: A state agency that can fund hearing devices when they are needed for education, training, or employment.
• South Carolina Medicaid: Covers medically necessary hearing aids for enrolled children and qualifying adults once a provider documents the need.
• Lion's Club: Local Lions Clubs may fund hearing aids for families in need on a case-by-case basis; availability depends on the specific chapter.
• Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN): A South Carolina program helping families of children with chronic conditions, including hearing loss, access needed care and devices.