The Virgin Islands Department of Education’s State Office of Special Education is seeking willing, motivated and passionate men and women from the community to advocate for children with disabilities, says Carrie Johns, state director for special education. The selected surrogate parents will make all decisions regarding Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for the assigned child. “Specifically, these individuals will represent a child whose parent is unknown, or cannot be located, is in the child welfare/foster care system as a ward of the state, or is identified as an unaccompanied homeless youth,” said Johns.
Who Can Become A Surrogate Parent? {CFR §300.519 (d) (2)} Any adult who is not an employee of the state or local education agency, or any agency that is involved in the education or care of the child; has no personal or professional interest that conflicts with the interest of the child that the surrogate parent represents and has knowledge and skills that ensure adequate representation of the child can become a surrogate parent.
Selected surrogate parents will attend trainings provided by the state office, at no cost to the individual, to become familiar with the district’s procedures for providing services to children with disabilities; meet the child and his or her teacher(s) and others who work with the child; participate in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and other educational meetings regarding the child; to make decisions about the child’s education; give or withhold consent for actions proposed by the district, as appropriate; and understand all procedural safeguards available, and invoke them as appropriate.
Interested persons are asked to contact Truvia Plaskett at 776-5802 or via e-mail at: tplaskett@doe.vi or tplaskett@usviosep.org no later than Oct. 30.
