USA

Historically, parent training had been provided by university staff.

Five Parent Information Centers (PICs) were federally funded as an "experiment," using concept of parent-run organizations. The five centers included:

• New Hampshire - New Hampshire Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities/Parent Information Center
• Massachusetts - Federation for Children with Special Needs
• Illinois - Coordinating Council for Handicapped Children (now Family Resource Center)
• Ohio - Southwestern Ohio Coalition (now Child Advocacy Center)
• Indiana - Task Force for Handicapped Children (now IN*SOURCE)

Other parent centers around the country were funded with local and state sources.

Two parent training centers receive funding from a competitive grant process, which included applicants from universities, from the "Division of Personnel Preparation," in the federal Office of Special Education (OSEP).

• Minnesota ~ PACER
• Virginia ~ PEATC

Other parent centers were soon established using various funding sources:

• Puerto Rico ~ APNI
• Georgia ~ ARC
• California ~ TASK
• Washington ~ PAVE
• and others

A small number of parent centers, led by Martha Ziegler of Federation for Children with Special Needs, began to meet to request more funding for parent centers from the U.S. Department of Education.

The “Division of Personnel Preparation” (OSEP) began to fund more parent training and the five PICs became parent training centers along with PACER and PEATC.

Ten percent of funding for Division of Personnel Preparation was devoted to PTIs.

A small group of PTI’s recognized the need for long-term sustainability and the need for a PTI in every state.

Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Technical Assistance were authorized and appropriated as line item in IDEA, which was significant legislation for parents of children with disabilities. The language was written by parent centers in meetings with the appropriations and authorization committees in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

In 1984, the first national technical assistance center was funded. One national center and five regional centers, known as “Technical Assistance for Parent Projects” (TAPP) were established.

Technical assistance was organized to include a national center and four regional centers.

The technical assistance was named The Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers

Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), designed to work with specific populations within specific geographic areas, were authorized and included in the PTI line item.

Five “experimental” centers had been funded prior to the authorization.

Technical assistance for parent centers were organized to reflect a unified system of one national center and six regional centers.

The network includes 105 parent centers

One statewide PTI is in every state (and more in larger states). There are 30 CPRCs

Parent Centers continue to be staffed primarily by parents of children with disabilities. In addition to being versed in parent advocacy and IDEA, parent center staff are knowledgeable on issues such as nonprofit management, technology, NCLB, and more.

Based on 2005-2006 reports:

Parent Centers had more than 1.8 million contacts with parents and professionals through trainings, presentations, calls, letters, home visits, and emails.

Twenty-seven percent of contacts were with families and professionals from culturally and racially diverse backgrounds.

Eighty percent of parents surveyed responded that because of assistance provided over the phone their child has received more appropriate services

Thank you to PTIs and CPRCs for all that you do to help children with disabilities and their families!