Surrogate parent special education program seeks advocates for children

Date: 4/28/2010

SPRINGFIELD The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Special Education Surrogate Parent Program needs volunteers that are interested in supporting children in their community. You can help solve the puzzle as an important member of the special education team for a student in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. By becoming a Special Education Surrogate Parent you can piece together their Special Education program.

Attend our free orientation training where you will learn about the role of a Special Education Surrogate Parent, the special education process, resources in the community and how you can make a difference in the life of a child!

The next meeting will take place at the Sixteen Acres Library, 1187 Parker St., April 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To register, call (508) 792-7679 or e-mail sespp@earthlink.net.

Hundreds of Massachusetts' children need concerned adults to help make decisions about their special education programs. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is seeking volunteers (aged 18 and older) to become Special Education Surrogate Parents for students with special educational needs whose parents are unknown or unavailable.

Special Education Surrogate Parents need commit only 10 to 20 hours of their time a year, in most cases, to help develop and approve programs that meet the students' specific special educational needs. Trained volunteers have all the rights of parents in the special education process, and they bear no financial responsibility for the student.