Ohio Parent Mentor Project
FACT SHEET
Parent Mentors are experienced parents of children with disabilities who work as paid staff within Ohio's school districts to provide information and support to families of children with disabilities. Parent Mentors also serve as liaisons between families and school district personnel to foster positive parent/professional teamwork.
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Qualifications
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Must be a parent of a child with a disability;
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Displays leadership qualities;
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Is knowledgeable about the special education system and the support services available in the community;
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Possesses excellent communication skills;
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Has an established working relationship in the school system; and
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Has previous experience providing parent information and/or training.
Current Number of Projects:
Currently, there are 71 Parent Mentor Projects funded, which represent 216 of Ohio's school districts. The School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf share a grant.
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Funding
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$25,000 annually per project
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Title VI-B (Special Education) for 10 projects
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Dollars set aside by the Ohio General Assembly for an additional 60 projects through the current biennium
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Process
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Requests for Proposals (RFP) are sent to the superintendents of the public school districts
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Districts are required to use parents of children with disabilities as parent of their writing teams
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Proposal components include a budget and narrative, description of need, project approach, organizational support and evaluation
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Readers for proposals include Parent Mentors, representatives from Ohio's Federal Parent Training and Information Centers, and special education professionals.
Staff Development:
Ongoing staff development and technical assistance for Parent Mentors is provided as a collaborative effort of the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children, and the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (one of Ohio's Federal Parent Training and Information Centers). -