Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Education announced the award of $2.5 million in grants to operate 23 Community Parent Resource Centers in 17 states and a Parent Training and Information Center to serve American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The centers provide parents with the training and information they need to work with professionals in meeting the early intervention and special needs of children with disabilities.
With the new grants, the Department now funds 87 information centers for parents of children and youth with disabilities. Every state has at least one Parent Training and Information Center that assists parents as they work to ensure their children receive a free, appropriate public education as guaranteed by federal law. In addition, the centers provide services to underserved parents of children with disabilities in targeted communities throughout the country.
“Parent centers empower families who have children with disabilities by helping them understand their rights and the services to which their children are entitled under the law,” U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. said. “These community parent resource centers are powerful levers for ensuring equity in diverse communities across the country.”
The training center and many resource centers work closely with state and local school systems to engage parents in working collaboratively to improve outcomes for their children. Community Parent Resource Centers receive grants to assist underserved families of children with disabilities in metropolitan areas like Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, while others work in rural areas in Alaska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, for example. For a list of Department-funded parent training and information centers, visit www.parentcenterhub.org.
The following is a list of grantees and the contacts for Community Parent Resource Centers, which will receive $100,000 annually for five years. The Parent Training and Information Center serving the Pacific is getting $200,000 annually for four years.
Wasilla, AK – LINKS Mat-Su, Eric Wade, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Springdale, AR – Arkansas Support Network, Inc., Candia Nicholas, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Berkeley, CA – Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Susan Henderson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Napa, CA – Napa Valley Child Advocacy Network, Inc.—Parents CAN, Marlena Garcia, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
San Francisco, CA – Support for Families of Children with Disabilities, Joe Goyos, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Denver, CO – THRIVE Resource Center, Yvette Burkhalter, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Hartford, CT – African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities, Ann Smith, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Miami, FL – Parent to Parent, Isabel Garcia, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gulf Breeze, FL – Project Empower of Northwest Florida, Gary Walby, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Hewitt, NJ – Association for Special Children & Families, Angela Abdul and Julie Rikon, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Albuquerque, NM – EPICS, in Alvino Sandoval, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Buffalo, NY – Parent Network of Western New York, Kim Walek, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Queens, NY – United We Stand of New York, Lourdes Rivera-Putz, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Asheville, NC – FIRST, Gaile Osborne, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Morganton, NC – Family Support Network HOPE, Vickie Dieter, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Panama, OK – Pervasive Parenting, Kodey Toney, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Philadelphia, PA – HUNE, Luz Hernandez, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Erie, PA – Mission Empower, Jill Hrinda-Patten, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Charleston, SC – Family Resource Center for Disabilities and Special Needs, Bev McCarty, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
El Paso, TX – Children’s Disabilities Information Coalition, Patricia Santibáñez, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Fairfax, VA – Formed Families Forward, Kelly Henderson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tacoma, WA – Open Doors for Multicultural Families, Ginger Kwan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Milwaukee, WI – Alianza Latina Aplicando Soluciones, Elsa Diaz-Bautista, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Honolulu, HI – Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii, Michael Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.