With the new grants, the Department now funds 87 information centers for parents of children and youth with disabilities. Every state has at least one Parent Training and Information Center that assists parents as they work to ensure their children receive a free, appropriate public education as guaranteed by federal law. In addition, the centers provide services to underserved parents of children with disabilities in targeted communities throughout the country.

“Parent centers empower families who have children with disabilities by helping them understand their rights and the services to which their children are entitled under the law,” U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. said. “These community parent resource centers are powerful levers for ensuring equity in diverse communities across the country.”

The training center and many resource centers work closely with state and local school systems to engage parents in working collaboratively to improve outcomes for their children. Community Parent Resource Centers receive grants to assist underserved families of children with disabilities in metropolitan areas like Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, while others work in rural areas in Alaska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, for example. For a list of Department-funded parent training and information centers, visit www.parentcenterhub.org.

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

The following is a list of grantees and the contacts for Community Parent Resource Centers, which will receive $100,000 annually for five years. The Parent Training and Information Center serving the Pacific is getting $200,000 annually for four years.