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(2021, November 5) | Relevant to Parent Centers, families of children with disabilities, disability advocates, and state and local public education systems with respect to policies and practices regarding restraint and seclusion of children with disabilities The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education has resolved its compliance review of […]
(2021, October 29) | Useful at the state and local levels of the Part C Early Intervention service system, early interventionists, and Parent Center staff and others who work with families of infants and toddlers with disabilities. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education has released an […]
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education has released yet another guidance in its Return to School Roadmap series–this one is called Provision of Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and their Families under Part C of IDEA. The 11-page document focuses on the development and implementation of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP), the written plan for providing early intervention services to an infant or toddler with a disability and the child’s family. The questions and answers addressed are intended to provide guidance and to identify the relevant requirements and options for flexibility for the State lead agencies (LA) and EIS providers when faced with unprecedented programmatic circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more about this Q&A, see a list of the questions addressed, and connect with this and other guidances in OSERS’ Return to School roadmap series here, at CPIR.
This release from the U.S. Department of Education joins the many recent products from ED to support how schools and communities support and see to the well-being of children. “Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health” provides information and resources to enhance the promotion of mental health and the social and emotional well-being among children and students. This resource highlights 7 key challenges to providing school- or program-based mental health support across early childhood, K–12 schools, and higher education settings, and presents 7 corresponding recommendations. This resource includes many real-world examples of how the recommendations are being put into action by schools, communities, and states across the country.
Read more about the challenges discussed and the recommendations explored, and access the publication here.
Adding to its Return to School Roadmap series, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education issues this Q&A document, which highlights certain IDEA requirements related to the development and implementation of IEPs and other information that states, school systems, regular and special education teachers, related services providers, and parents should consider as students with disabilities return to school in Fall 2021.
The 41-page document is the Department’s response to the requests it received from a diverse group of stakeholders, asking that the Department issue new guidance interpreting requirements of the IDEA in light of the many challenges of the COVID‑19 pandemic and as more schools and programs are returning to in-person services. Read more about the Q&A, see its Table of Contents, and access it (and other documents in the Roadmap series) in our abstract of this Featured Resource.
(2020, June 25) | Useful to Parent Centers, school districts, state lead agencies and education agencies about use of IDEA funds On June 25, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education issued several Q&A guidances on the use of IDEA funds in a COVID-19 environment. These are: IDEA Part B Use of Funds in COVID-19 […]
(2020, June) | Useful to Parent Centers in working with schools using School Resource Officers (SROs) National conversations about police brutality have spurred school districts nationwide to reconsider their relationships with local law enforcement agencies. In the 2017–2018 school year, 45% of all public schools reported having one or more full- or part-time school resource […]
In 2010, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation launched America Healing, an effort to put racial and structural inequalities behind us, by first putting it squarely in front of us. America Healing is designed to raise awareness of unconscious biases and inequities to help communities heal. In support of America Healing, the Kellogg Foundation created this comprehensive and interactive racial equity resource guide that includes practical resources aimed at helping organizations and individuals working to achieve racial healing and equity in their communities. There’s a video to introduce you to the search functionality that allows you to build your own resource guide suited to your needs or those of your organization or community.
For more info about the guide, its search functionalities, and the “how-to” video that will get you started, come here.
Most parents in the United States depend on child care to maintain an often-fragile balance between work and family life. Although a shortage of affordable, high-quality care is an issue for all families, it disproportionately affects families of children with disabilities. This 26-page report from the Center for American Progress examines families’ child care experiences when they have children ages 0 to 5 with disabilities.
The study identified many significant obstacles that parents of young children with disabilities face when trying to find child care. Key findings are reported, including how parents managed their individual challenges, patching together help as well as making significant changes to their jobs to provide care. Following these analyses, the report discusses three specific policy solutions. Read more about the contents of the report and access it here.
The Department of Education (ED) is soliciting comments on proposed revisions to the data collected via the State Performance Plan (SPP) and the Annual Performance Report (APR). Each state must file the SPP/APR with the Department for both Parts B and C of IDEA. These are the parts of the law that authorize special education and related services for children with disabilities (Part B) and early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities (Part C). Among other changes, the Department is proposing to establish a new 6-year SPP cycle (FFY 2020 through FFY 2025). Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 20, 2020. Read more about this request for comment and connect with what’s proposed for Parts B and C here.