Family Resources

National:
State Listings:  WI   (Official USPS State Abbreviations)

National

New Sign Center for Parents Information and Resources offers a “Hub” of information and products created for the network of Parent Centers serving families of children with disabilities. All the materials found on the CPIR Hub have been created and archived for Parent Centers around the country to help them provide support and services to the families they serve. The CPIR employs a user-centered process, gathering the perspectives of our experienced audience—Parent Center staff members and other experts—every step of the way, to create products and services that increase Parent Centers’ knowledge and capacity in specific domains.

OSEP Ideas That Work, sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), offers a Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities: Parents' Materials designed to assist parents and states in their efforts to work together to raise the achievement of all students with disabilities. The Parent Kit offers information tailored to them on assessments, instructional practices, behavior, and accommodations. These materials provide information that will help parents become active and informed participants in IEP discussions and other decision making meetings that support students with disabilities and their families.

State Listings

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training & Support, Inc. (WI FACETS) is a non-profit organization serving Wisconsin children and adults with disabilities, their families and those who support them. This organization was founded in 1995 by parents who believed that parents are the best advocates for their children. WI FACETS operates the following programs to help parents support and enrich their children's lives.

  • A new Parent Training and Information Center provides statewide service. A 5-year U.S. Department of Education grant (CFDA 84.328M) funded the Center starting October 1, 2001. The grant supports families and others with training, information and referral, and individual assistance related to children with disabilities and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

  • Community Parent Resource Center serves the City of Milwaukee. Funded since 1998 through U.S. Dept. of Education grants (CFDA 84.328C), this project supports underserved parents of children with disabilities to become full participants in their child's education.

  • WIN-MILL Project provides statewide service. This is a four-state project, including Parent Centers in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. Funded since 1995 by U.S. Department of Education grants, parents, students and others are trained to train and support other parents and students about the Rehabilitation Act and transition of students with disabilities to post-secondary school and vocational experiences.

New Sign Wisconsin Family Ties programs empower and support parents of children with emotional and behavioral health challenges. Because we are parents of children with similar needs, we are uniquely equipped to understand the parent perspective and help others understand too. The Parent Peer Specialist Program, supports parents raising children with emotional / behavioral challenges by fostering parent empowerment. Increased parent empowerment is correlated with improved child behavior and academic outcomes, enhanced child-parent relations, improved mental health treatment completion, and decreased parental stress. The Parent Peer Specialist program fosters empowerment through the creation of a one-to-one relationship between a parent-in-need and a trained veteran parent who understands the parent’s needs due to shared experiences. Support and information are provided; independence is fostered. Contact them at 16 N Carroll St., Madison, WI 53703, info@wifamilyties.org, Phone: 608.267.6800 or 800.422.7145 or Fax: 608.267.6801.

-