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

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