eNotes on Family Engagement

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has developed a voluntary self-assessment technical assistance (TA) tool to help states support military-connected children with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It is applicable for IDEA's provisions that require a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under Part B, from ages 3 through 21 or early intervention systems under Part C for children with disabilities, from birth to age 3. The two-part self-assessment will provide states with a thorough review of potentially challenging areas that military families face. It also will provide an in-depth look at current policy and procedures to identify any area in which collaboration or TA could best support the family, local program, or state as a whole. An accompanying OSEP TA call focused on family engagement, which aligns with the following OSERS mission and priority:

• To improve early childhood, education, and employment outcomes and raise expectations for all people with disabilities, their families, their communities, and the nation
• Leading for equitable outcomes by engaging families, individuals with disabilities, educators, providers, policy makers, advocates, and communities to identify successes, barriers, and needs

Parents are their children's first teachers, and the U.S. Department of Education supports the power of parent partnership with educators as a key lever for the success of every child. Therefore, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will celebrate these powerful partnerships on National Parent Involvement Day, November 16, 7:00 PM EST. This webinar event is a call-to-action for parents and caregivers, educators, family engagement practitioners, state and local leaders, and organizations that support effective family engagement. Registration is required to attend the webinar.

These Technical Assistance Resources for Part C Eligibility from the Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) provides a series of Implementation Technical Assistance Guides that identify strategies and highlight resources and best practices that ensure families have equitable access to IDEA Part C services. The guides, available in English and Spanish, are for IDEA Part C coordinators, state and local early childhood program administrators, early childhood and health providers, families, policymakers, and any individuals or organizations committed to improving outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Current guides available include:

• Vision and Guiding Principles;
• Outreach and Family Engagement; and
• Monitoring, Screening, and Referral.

Additinal guides will be added on an ongoing basis.