Family Matters Resources and Information for Distribution

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Special Education (OSE) is pleased to announce the creation of Family Matters resources and information. The MDE OSE is requesting your help in sharing this information with families of children with disabilities in your community.

The MDE OSE developed Family Matters resources in response to recommendations from the Governor’s Special Education Reform Task Force. The final report from the task force advised the MDE to improve access to resources for families with children who receive special education programs and services. The recommendation specifically calls for the MDE to promote the resources, and for local and intermediate school districts to “use this information to proactively contact the families of students regarding procedural safeguards and the resources available to them.”

As requested by the Governor’s task force, the MDE OSE is seeking your support in this endeavor. During each initial Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting, please provide this information to each family in your local school districts.

Attached in this email are three documents from the OSE to share with parents at the initial IEP meeting:

1.   Family Matters informational flyer

2.   A letter to parents from the OSE

3.   A Procedural Safeguards fact sheet (The fact sheet does not replace the Procedural Safeguards document provided to parents by the ISD, but supplements it as a brief overview about the topic.)

Sharing this information is an opportunity for ISDs, districts, and the MDE OSE to further collaborate in supporting families. While we are trying to reach families new to special education services in Michigan, the resources may be helpful to other families already receiving services. I encourage you to share Family Matters as appropriate. In an effort to assist families in their ability to meaningfully participate in the educational program development for their child, please use this information as a way to further support families of children receiving special education services.

Thank you for your attention and support of this effort.