Holly Ridge Center given contract to manage parent support programs

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Holly Ridge Center in Bremerton has been awarded a new contract by Kitsap County Developmental Disabilities to oversee and facilitate two programs that support families of children and adults with disabilities: the Parent Coalition and the Parent to Parent Program.

The Parent Coalition is a group of local parents and allies that share information with and advocate for people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Parent to Parent Program matches parents of children or adults with disabilities with families who have lived similar experiences. The two programs provide a full circle of support to help parents face their families’ unique challenges and navigate often-complex support systems, a news release says.

Holly Ridge Center has worked with both programs in the past. In their new management role, they will help to grow the Parent Coalition and Parent to Parent Program through outreach activities, including engaging current and former Holly Ridge families, and hosting topical workshops and trainings. They will also connect parents and families through their relationships with the Kitsap County school districts, business partners, community organizations, and state and local agencies, per the release.

“At Holly Ridge, we’ve always seen our role as not just a service provider, but as walking alongside our families so they can step into advocacy roles of their own and build resilient communities. We ensure that all of our services are as inclusive as possible through language access and cultural responsiveness,” said Dedra Miller, executive director of Holly Ridge Center.

“In addition, the Parent Coalition and the Parent to Parent Program will now be run by an organization inside the community it serves,” Miller added. “Holly Ridge Center has called Kitsap County home for over 60 years. We take great pride in understanding this community and, to this end, the people tasked internally with managing these programs will have community roots, as well as an authentic understanding of disability advocacy.”