Parents Reaching Out (PRO) is a service of the Wisconsin Sound Beginnings Program (Wisconsin Department of Health Services), administered through the Waisman Center, UW-Madison. PRO connects families of children with hearing differences (ages 0–3, living in Wisconsin) with other families on a similar journey. Trained Support Parents — themselves parents of children with hearing differences — provide free, compassionate, one-on-one peer support. They also host regular gatherings to support families across Wisconsin. Our goal is to reduce isolation and improve the emotional well-being of families of d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing children. Program coordinators, also parents of children with hearing differences, collaborate with professionals and organizations statewide to support these families.
Wisconsin Sound Beginnings (WSB) is Wisconsin’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program, ensuring all newborns are screened for hearing loss and receive timely diagnosis and quality early intervention. WSB tracks hearing screenings, diagnoses, and referrals statewide through WETRAC, a web-based data system, and works to ensure all families have equal access to seamless care for their d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing child.