The Family Focus Empowerment Center
The purpose of this grant is to create centers based on the model of the
Early Start Family Resource Centers to serve families of children aged 3
to 22 who have IEPs. The Family Focus Empowerment Center is located
at California State University, Northridge. College of Education, Room
E109I, 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8265.
Warmline: (818) 677-5575 Fax: (818) 677-5574
Email: family.focus@csun.edu
Website: http://www.csun.edu/~ffrc
The FFEC will provide:
- Comprehensive information about disabilities, laws, and public and
private services
- Educational programs & support groups to parents
- Greater understanding of education and development needs
- Collaboration with community agencies and programs
- Advocacy for positive dispute resolution
- Assistance in teacher preparation and training
- Respect for families' cultural, linguistic, & socio-economic diversity
Many of these objectives will be accomplished by providing the following
services, activities, and educational trainings:
- Understanding the nature of their children's disabilities &
educational & developmental needs
- Monthly seminars given by educators & professionals in the field
- Access to literature & research on the various disabilities
- Discussions on how the disabilities may affect emotional, social,
cognitive, & physical development
- Knowledge of how their child's educational needs are influenced by
their development
- Helping parents communicate effectively with professionals and
agency personnel
- IEP clinics utilizing role playing
- Child Record Notebooks to help organize medical, educational, and
assessment data
- Knowledge of all relevant laws & regulations and their significance
- Appreciation of professional & agency roles and functions
- Participation of families in decision making & IEP development
- Role playing clinics
- Advocacy Support
- Working with parent mentors
- Information in our expanded directory of services and resources
- Providing translations in other languages
- Warm line for personal interactions
- Internet references and links via our website
- Encourage family participation in school improvement and reform
- Arrange a buddy system for PTA & CAC involvement
- Membership on agency, school, and disability support group boards
- Promotion of positive dispute resolution & positive
relationships between parents and professionals
- Knowledge of bureaucratic systems and how to work with them
- Training of teachers and MA students on issues important to families