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Florida Coastal School of Law will host a training session Wednesday for individuals who wish to become surrogate parents for children in foster homes who have learning disabilities. You do not have to be a lawyer to serve as a surrogate parent and, as a volunteer, you get to decide how many cases you choose to accept.
The training session at Coastal Law will take place from 6-9 p.m. in room 550.
Parents of children with learning disabilities such as autism, dyslexia, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are given certain rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to ensure that their children are educated in a way that is appropriate for their disability. A “surrogate parent” under federal law is an educational advocate who has authority to request educational evaluations and services for children in foster care with learning disabilities who are usually left without anyone to look out for their rights.
Volunteers should expect to spend approximately 15-20 hours over a two month period participating in the following activities: meeting the child; collecting medical and education records from the child’s school and medical professional; and meeting at the child’s school with school administrators to develop an IEP (Individualized Education Program). Much of the records collection can be done over the phone. After the IEP has been developed, the surrogate parent should expect to follow up with the school approximately every 6 months to ensure that the plan is being followed. This usually takes 2-3 hours.
To learn more, call Circuit Court Judge Karen Cole at 630-2321, Circuit Court Judge Waddell Wallace at 630-2537, or Florida Coastal School of Law Vice Dean Terri Davlantes at 680-7700, or simply attend surrogate parent training at Coastal Law Wednesday from 6-9 p.m.