A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Letter to Parent Center Directors regarding Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers meeting the needs of children with disabilities and their families

September 22, 2005

Dear Parent Center Directors:

As the nation has mobilized to provide support to children and families impacted by Hurricane Katrina, the Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) have been working to meet the extraordinary needs of children with disabilities and their families. Immediately after the hurricane, you and your staff began working with displaced families. Staff were in the shelters, working the phones, and collaborating with local and state officials to ensure that infants, toddlers and students with disabilities would continue to receive special education services upon entering their new schools or early intervention programs.

The Department of Education is fully committed to supporting families of children with disabilities as they face challenges compounded by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. These children must be provided special education services regardless of their situation. We ask that you work with families and state and local agencies to ensure that children with disabilities get timely access to the services they need. We urge you to be proactive in working with schools and other service providers and ask that they inform parents about the PTIs and CPRCs that provide services in the communities where the displaced families are located. You may also consider public service announcements, posting flyers, and other methods of notifying family members and other individuals of your availability to help. Meanwhile, the Department will make referrals to the receiving state education agency or lead agency as well as the PTI and CPRC any time a request for assistance for a displaced parent is received.

We appreciate the support you provide for families of children with disabilities, and the work you are doing to support families disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. We will work with you in the days ahead as you reach out to schools, agencies and parents to provide the information they need to ensure timely receipt of services for displaced children.

Sincerely,

Troy R. Justesen
Acting Director
Office of Special Education Programs