Category: Parent And Family
Family can include parents, grandparents, siblings, and other relatives in your immediate family circle.
Willa Discovers Telehealth
Quick Look: How to Prepare for a Virtual Meeting
Schools and families continue to meet virtually to discuss special education services during the closures related to the coronavirus pandemic. Here are tips to help family members prepare for remote meetings to discuss a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), a Section 504 Plan, evaluation for special education services or something else related to a special Read More
Census 2020: Submit Your Response to Ensure Schools and Other Programs get Funding
The United States Census collects information to figure out how to spend about $1.5 trillion each year. Communities get federal money based on how many people of various ages live there. Money for special education, foster care, children’s health insurance and many other programs is distributed more fairly when the federal government has an accurate Read More
Students: Get Ready to Participate in Your IEP Meeting with a Handout for the Team
Students of all abilities have the right to a solid education to get ready for adult life. Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) have a right to participate in IEP meetings to make sure the program is a good set-up for higher education, vocational training, work—whatever comes next after graduation. Schools are required to invite Read More
Ideas to Support Children and Families Impacted by Abuse, Trauma and Divorce
Brief Overview The National Education Association (NEA) recognizes that childhood experiences related to domestic abuse, trauma or divorce affect education. This article includes recommendations for teachers, family members or other adults who might advocate for a student who needs more help due to challenging life circumstances. Researchers agree that a trauma-sensitive approach to special education Read More
Relatives Raising Children Face Unique Challenges
Imagine a knock on the front door at night. Outside is a police officer, bringing a child to the safe-haven of a grandparent’s home. A grandparent might experience fear and confusion, trying to reconcile what has happened in the family and how to support the child. This is how a journey toward kinship care can Read More
I want the kind with the people and the pictures
By John O’Brien After a Difficult Start… Institutionalized from age three to twenty-three in a place where “they treated us like animals”– Mike has composed a good life, taking many valued roles: husband, father, worker, home owner, friend, organizer, advocate, mentor, teacher, neighbor.[1] Anticipating the changes that come with aging, Mike requested funding for a person-centered Read More
Parents as Team Partners: Options When You Don’t Agree with the School
A Brief Overview Not every meeting with the school ends in agreement. This article provides information about what parents can do when they disagree with decisions made by the school. When parents disagree with a school’s recommendation, they may need more information and time to organize ideas and priorities to prepare for a meeting. Read Read More
A Mother Shares her Personal Journey of Welcoming a Baby with Down Syndrome
By Elizabeth Paschich The news that my son had Down syndrome came at a bad time. I was pregnant with our 6th child, and my husband and I were not on the same page about my pregnancy. Age 37, I qualified for extensive genetic testing that could identify the gender of my child at 11 Read More
Finding the Right Child Care Provider for Your Child
by Marcia Jacobs, Communications and Marketing Manager, Child Care Aware of Washington Selecting a child care provider is one of a parent’s most important decisions. Your child may spend many hours with the provider you choose, and you want that playing and learning time to be well-spent. All parents look for a provider who Read More
DDA Access Series 1 Eligibility
Washington State Offers a New Option for Employment and Housing Support
Employment and housing can be critical to good health, and the State of Washington has recognized that more supports are needed in these key areas. In January 2018, the state launched a new program to support individuals with complex care needs because of physical or mental impairments by helping them to find and keep jobs and homes. The pilot project provides housing and employment supports to individuals who Read More
Things I Wish I Knew on Folic Acid
As a mom of a child with Spina Bifida there are a lot of things I wish I knew. Like I wish I knew I was going to have such a sweet little GoGo (that’s the name for her wheelchair) user before I bought a house with 15 stairs straight up. I wish I knew that it was Read More