Resources for Parents
Developmental Information
Learn the Signs. Act early.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Information for parents, healthcare providers, and early childhood educators to support children reaching milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act and move. Resources to track development and how to act early if there are concerns.
General Information
Center for Parent Information and Resources
The CPIR is made possible through funding from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education. OSEP supports the Parent Center network and the role that Parent Centers play in educating parents and improving outcomes for children with disabilities.
Programs
Early Head Start Program
Early Head Start (EHS) programs serve infants and toddlers under the age of 3, and pregnant women. EHS programs provide intensive comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income infants and toddlers and their families, and to pregnant women and their families.
School Services
Requesting an Initial Evaluation for Special Education Services
​There are times when you, as a parent, may want to communicate in writing with your child’s school about some problem or concern with your child’s education or well-being. This page presents a model letter or email you might write the school to ask that your child be evaluated to see if he or she has a disability and is eligible to receive special education and related services.
​Right to Receive a Complete Explanation of IDEA’s Procedural Safeguards
At least one time a year, the parents of a child with a disability must receive from the school system a complete explanation of all the procedural safeguards available to them, as parents, under IDEA. This explanation is called the “Procedural Safeguards Notice.”
​Considering LRE in Placement Decisions
Least restrictive environment, or LRE as it is more commonly called, is one of several vital components in the development of a child’s IEP and plays a critical role, influencing where a child spends his or her time at school, how services are provided, and the relationships the child develops within the school and community.