U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $9.8 Million to Fund Centers for Parents of Students with Disabilities

U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $9.8 Million to Fund Centers for Parents of Students with Disabilities
September 11, 2012

Contact:   Press Office, (202) 401-1576,  press@ed.gov



The U.S. Department of Education today announced the award of more than $9.8 million in grants to 16 states to operate 25 Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers for parents of students with disabilities. The Department also awarded $1.1 million to provide funding for 11 Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in nine states and Puerto Rico.

With the new grants, the Department now funds 101 information centers for parents of children and youth with disabilities. Every state has at least one PTI that assists parents as they work to ensure their children receive a free, appropriate public education as guaranteed by federal law. In addition, CPRCs provide services to underserved parents of children with disabilities in targeted communities throughout the country.

"Parent Centers are critical in helping to empower parents and families who have children with disabilities," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "These centers help parents understand the services to which their children are entitled and deserve under the law. They also are powerful resources in communities across the country."

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. Many parent information centers work closely with state and local school systems to engage parents in working collaboratively to improve outcomes for their children. The network also includes CPRCs, which receive grants to assist underserved populations such as minority parents in the Denver and New Haven, Conn., metro areas. For a list of U.S. Department of Education-funded parent training and information centers, visit www.parentcenternetwork.org.

The following is a list of the grants the Department announced for Parent Training and Information Centers, and Community Parent Resource Centers. The award amounts and contact information for local project directors are included.

Parent Training and Information Centers
AR — Arkansas Disability Coalition, Wanda Horton, wanda.horton@adcpti.org, $258,634
CA — Team of Advocates for Special Kids, Inc.—Region 1, Brenda Smith, brendas@taskca.org, $791,336
CA — Team of Advocates for Special Kids, Inc.—Region 2, Marta Anchondo, martaa@taskca.org, $648,741
CA — Exceptional Parents Unlimited, Inc.—Region 3, Bobbie Coulbourne, bcoulbourne@exceptionalparents.org, $220,881
CA — Parents Helping Parents, Inc.—Region 4, Jane Floethe-Ford, jane@php.com, $577,426
CA — Rowell Family Empowerment of Northern California, Inc.—Region 5, Kathleen Lowrance, sklowrance@aol.com, $220,881
CT — Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center, Inc., Nancy Prescott, nprescott@cpacinc.org, $276,016
GA — Parent to Parent of Georgia, Inc., Robin Blount, robin@p2pga.org, $664,791
IL — Family Resource Center on Disabilities—Region 1, Michelle Phillips, michelle.phillips@frcd.org $548,612
IL — Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center—Region 2, Debbie Einhorn, deinhorn@fmptic.org, $281,878
KS — Families Together, Inc., Lesli Girard, lesli@familiestogetherinc.org, $292,033
MI — Michigan Alliance—PTI Region 1, Caryn Ivey, caryn@michiganallianceforfamilies.org, $239,170
MI — Michigan Alliance—PTI Region 2, Michelle Miller, michelle@michiganallianceforfamilies.org, $403,970
MT — Parents, Let's Unite for Kids, Roger Holt, rholt@pluk.org, $227,965
NE — PTI Nebraska, Bridget Cannon-Hale, bcannon-hale@pti-nebraska.org, $224,894
NJ — Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of NJ, Diana Autin, diana.autin@spannj.org, $496,829
NM — Parents Reaching Out to Help, Inc., Kendra Morrison, kmorrison@parentsreachingout.org, $277,918
OH — Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities—Region 1, Lee Ann Derugen, leeannd@ocecd.org, $241,824
OH — Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children Disabilities—Region 2, Margaret Burley, margarettb@oceod.org, $468,392
OR — Family and Community Together, Roberta Dunn, roberta@factoregon.org, $283,543
SC — Parents Reaching Out to Parents of South Carolina, Mary Eaddy, meaddy@proparents.org, $289,373
TX — Partners Resource Network, Inc—Region 1 PATH, Alexis Smith, asmith_prnpath@sbcglobal.net, $667,779
TX — Partners Resource Network, Inc—Region 2 TEAM, Julissa Porro, jporroprnteam@sbcglobal.net, $667,779
TX — Partners Resource Network, Inc—Region 3 PEN, Teresa Lytle Howell, penproject@sbcglobal.net, $377,223
UT — Utah Parent Center, Helen Post, helenp@utahparentcenter.org, $246,148

Community Parent Resource Centers, each funded at $100,000
AR — Arkansas Support Network, Inc., Candia Nicholas, cnicholas@supports.org
CA — Napa Valley Child Advocacy Network, Inc.—Parents CAN, Marlena Garcia, marlenag@parentscan.org
CO — Denver Metro Community Parent Resource Center, Yvette Plummer, yvettep@denvermetrocprc.org
CT — African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities, Ann Smith, asmith@afcamp.org
NJ — Association for Special Children & Families, Angela Abdul and Julie Rikon, ascfamily@hotmail.com
NC — FIRST, Janet Price-Farrell, janet@firstwnc.org
NC — Family Support Network HOPE, Vickie Dieter, vbdieter@fsnhope.org
OR — Oregon FIRST, Gabriella Bolivar, orfirst.gmbolivar@gmail.com
PA — Mission Empower, Jill Hrinda-Patten, advocate@missionempower.org
PR — Centro Margarita, Gladys Marrero, centromargarita@yahoo.com
VA — Formed Families Forward, Kelly Henderson, formedfamiliesforward@verizon.net

Source: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-awards-more-98-million-fund-centers-parents-students-dis