Surrogate Parents

20 U.S.C.  § 1415

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates a procedure to protect the rights of children with disabilities when their parents are unknown. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are required to identify the need for surrogate parents in specific outlined situations, maintain a pool of surrogate parents, assign a surrogate parent within 30 calendar days of identifying a need, and provide training to surrogate parents on their legal rights, roles, the special education process, and procedural safeguards and dispute resolution processes. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education issued a Basic Education Circular dated July 2014 to provide specific guidelines related to this mandate. The Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12 supports LEAs by maintaining a process to support them in fulfilling this responsibility.  

The Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12

• provides guidance to LEAs in regard to this mandate
  
  
• maintains a pool of surrogate parents
  
  
• advertises for additional surrogate parents via the LIU 12 website and advertises on a yearly basis via LEAs and local agencies
  
  
• provides a yearly training for surrogate parents

If you are interested in serving as a surrogate parent, participating in training for surrogate parents, need to acquire a surrogate parent, or have any questions related to surrogate parents, please contact: Robin Hamme, Assistant Director of Special Education.