Family and Educator Partnership (FEP)

Goal

To support successful outcomes in the areas of living, learning, and working for individuals with disabilities, ages birth–21, the Family and Educator Partnership (FEP) will operate within a tiered system of supports across Iowa with intentional coordination, consistency, and continuity through partnerships between families and educators.

Principles

• Creating partnerships early builds the foundation for family and child success
• Families, educators, and community providers all have important roles, responsibilities, and perspectives in the education and support of children
• Shared communication builds successful partnerships
• Successful partnerships work together by recognizing, understanding, and respecting individual differences
• Each family has the option to access a variety of services and supports through the FEP, depending upon their needs at any point in time

Who We Are

The FEP, started in 1984, provides a unique opportunity for parents and educators to build partnerships to improve educational programs for children and young adults with special needs. Modeling an effective collaborative partnership, the FEP is staffed by a family coordinator who brings the perspective of a parent with a child having special needs and an educator coordinator who brings the perspective of an educator. Each of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs) employ these staff to guide the program within the AEA. They collaborate directly with parents, local education agencies, and agencies outside the educational system.

What We Do for Parents and Educators

• Facilitate understanding of special education including family/student rights and responsibilities
• Support families and educators through personal, phone, email contact, including attending Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP)/Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings
• Assistance preparing for IFSP to IEP and post-secondary transition
• Support communication between home and school to enhance family and educator partnerships
• Link family and educators to services within the AEA and the community
• Provide information and understanding regarding educational processes

FEP Brochure

AEA Contacts

Central Rivers AEA

Grant Wood AEA

Great Prairie AEA

Green Hills AEA

Heartland AEA

Keystone AEA

Mississippi Bend AEA

Northwest AEA

Prairie Lakes AEA

Links

ASK Resource Center – A parent training, information, and advocacy center for families of children with special needs across the state of Iowa.

Beach Center on Disability – A center that works on research on disabilities, education, and families.

Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) – Information and products created for the network of Parent Centers serving families of children with disabilities.​

Early ACCESS – Iowa's system for providing early intervention services.

Iowa Family Support Network (IFSN) – A statewide Resource Directory, Statewide Events, National Resources, and Projects and Research.

Iowa Training Consortium – A resource, sponsored by the Center for Disabilities and Development at the University of Iowa, that offers training and information on various disability topics.

PACER – Minnesota's Parent, Training, and Information (PTI) center. It also serves as the national technical assistance center for all PTIs in the nation and territories.

Surrogate Parent Training – This training provides some basic information about the history of special education and its application in public education today. This will assist those who will be fulfilling the role of a surrogate parent for a student with special education needs.

Wrightslaw – Legal information regarding the various laws that impact people with disabilities and their families and the systems that provide services and supports to them.

U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Iowa Legislators

Congress.gov