MPACT offices are closed Friday, November 11th |
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What is Veterans Day and How Do We Celebrate? |
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Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects to those who have served. For one day, we stand united in respect for you, our veterans.
What do you need to know about celebrating Veterans Day? Here’s some more information in this article featured on military.com titled Veterans Day 2022
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Fun Activities to Teach Kids about Veterans Day |
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In a featured fantasticfunandlearning.com article by Shaunna Evans, Veterans Day is an opportunity to honor and give thanks to those who have served or are serving in the military. Click HERE for some Veterans Day activities, teaching resources, and even some free printables.
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Great Reading Resources & Activities for Military Families |
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Check out these great reading resources and activities from the Center for Parent Information Services, also known as CPIR
Little Listeners in an Uncertain World
Moving to a New Location
Relocation for Military Families
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Are You Preparing for Military PCS? |
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MPACT partners with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). We can help you navigate special education in our state and connect you to local resources in your community. We also know that a new state may mean you are away from family, or you could have a spouse deployed. Here at MPACT, we have volunteer parent mentors and staff who can be there to help support you as you navigate special education in Missouri, including attending educational meetings with you. Watch this video to find out how we support Military and Veteran families through the special education process. Visit MPACT's Military page HERE
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November was first declared as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month in 2007. Since then, November has been a time to acknowledge those children and families experiencing homelessness.
As many as 2.5 million youth per year experience homelessness. Along with losing their home, community, friends, and routines as well as their sense of stability and safety, many homeless youth are also victims of trauma. While trying to survive on the streets, youth are exposed to countless dangers, with an increased likelihood of substance abuse, early parenthood, impulsivity, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and a vulnerability to being trafficked.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) has compiled a list of helpful resources for parents and caregivers, children and teens, mental health providers, child welfare workers, juvenile justice professionals, and policy makers.
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Results From a National Transition Survey |
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Why do some young adults with disabilities move seamlessly into successful and rewarding work and education after high school, while others struggle? What transition activities during high school have the strongest relationship to positive outcomes after high school?
Last fall, the National Resources for Access, Independence, Self-determination, and Employment Technical Assistance Center (RAISE) and Missouri Parent Act (MPACT) partnered to dig deeper into these questions through a survey. Hearing from individuals with disabilities and their parents, we reached out to readers of the Exceptional Child Magazine to share their voices and insight. In the end, 773 people completed the survey, including 621 young adults with disabilities aged 18-26 and 152 parents. Respondents told us about their adult lives- or for parents, their son or daughter’s- including whether they had had jobs and education since high school and how satisfied they were with their current lives. They also told us about their high school transition activities, including transition content they learned about, transition experiences they had, and people who supported their transition. Our main finding is clear: transition experiences matter.
Read the entire article HERE.
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Request for Stakeholder Engagement |
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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) established the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), which is a series of “indicators” designed to measure results for children and families served in Missouri’s Part C early intervention program known as First Steps. The Office of Childhood is engaging with Missouri stakeholders to review targets or goals for these indicators to analyze data, develop improvement strategies, and evaluate progress. A webinar will be held on December 8 from noon to 1:00 to share information with stakeholders and gather feedback. A link to join the webinar will be provided closer to the event date. |
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Tools That Challenge the School-to-Prison Pipeline |
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The U.S. Department of Education announced the release of new guidance from its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to help public elementary and secondary schools fulfill their responsibilities to meet the needs of students with disabilities and avoid the discriminatory use of student discipline. These newly released resources are the most comprehensive guidance on the civil rights of students with disabilities concerning student discipline and build on the Department’s continued efforts to support students and schools through pandemic recovery.
The new resources include:
The guidance makes clear that schools do not need to choose between complying with Section 504 and IDEA and keeping their school community—including students and staff—safe.
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Got Transition
Developed a toolkit for families to reduce barriers from pediatric to adult health care. Its aim is to improve the transition from pediatric to adult health care through the use of innovative strategies for healthcare professionals and youth, families, and caregivers. To learn more, read HERE. More resources from Got Transition https://www.gottransition.org/
CPIR Supported Decision Making
Watch this video from The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) to learn more about Supported Decision Making in Health Care and Medical Treatment Decisions: Help for people with disabilities to make decisions about their health care at: supporteddecisionmaking.org
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November Transition Series |
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MPACT Webinars and In-Person Trainings in November
All training and links have been updated
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Transition from Elementary to Middle School
Transition from Middle School to High School
Missouri Graduation Requirements
Special Education What I Need to Know
Student LED IEP (in-person)
Special Education Law
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Special Education Law (in-person)
Understanding the IEP Process (in-person)
The Art of Effective Advocacy (in-person)
Disagreement Resolution (in-person)
The Art of Effective Advocacy
Understanding the IEP process
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View all upcoming MPACT trainings HERE.
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All MPACT trainings are free of charge! If you would like to schedule any MPACT training in your area or for your organization
please click on the link HERE.
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Make a Difference in the Lives of
Missouri Families, Join MPACT Today!
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What is an MPACT Mentor Volunteer?
Mentors are trained volunteers who, upon request, provide support to families of children with disabilities throughout the special education process. A mentor does not represent or speak for a parent or family member, but a mentor does help empower an individual to become a strong educational advocate for his or her child. MPACT mentors are screened and receive training and supervision from MPACT staff.
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MPACT (Missouri Parents Act) is looking for enthusiastic individuals to help develop a diverse community-based board of directors. We seek members with a broad variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and experience, people with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, people with experience with other children’s issues, people simply interested in child education, people with fundraising expertise, business professionals, and educators.
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Shop with MPACT on Amazon Smile :) |
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Your holiday shopping can help make a difference, at no additional cost to you!
When you shop at smile.amazon.com, or in the Amazon app with AmazonSmile turned on within Settings, you'll find the same products and same low prices as the Amazon you already know - plus, they donate a portion of your purchases to your chosen charity.
#amazonsmilecharity #amazonsmiledonates
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MPACT is funded in part or whole by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Grant No. H328M090020-10. The contents of the website, however, and any documents cited herein do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S Department of Education.
Copyright © 2021 MPACT. All rights reserved
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