Here are the highlights of our upcoming events and recent activity online. Not everything is included due to timeliness.

If an advertised event already took place, we've left it off.

The 2023 Holiday Season Card Contest is open!

Winning entries from each grade level will be selected for display on the Idaho State Department of Education website. From these, two overall winners will be selected: one from the K-6 division and one from the 7-12 division. The winning pieces will be used on the department’s official holiday cards and the winning artists will receive cards for their own personal use.

“To say that my staff and I are eager to see what our talented young artists have to offer this year is definitely an understatement,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield. “This is such a fun way for our classrooms to get into the holiday spirit, and I know we’re going to see some amazing work this year.”

Full information at this (pdf) link https://www.sde.idaho.gov/communications/files/news-releases/10-13-2023-Idaho-Students-Invited-to-Celebrate-the-Holiday-Season-with-2023-Card-Contest.pdf

If you are an Idaho parent of an adult or youth soon to be transitioning to adulthood who have a developmental disability, this is important information regarding adult services and eligibility. There are two calls taking place next week. Links are included within this notice:

Court Rules That Medicaid Cannot Hide SIS Details + Update Meetings 10/23 & 10/24

https://aclu-idaho.squarespace.com/news/2023/9/29/court-rules-that-medicaid-cannot-hide-sis-details-update-meetings-1023-amp-1024

The Our Care Can't Wait Coalition is collecting the names and contact information for people in Idaho who want to share their stories about accessing direct care workers and home and community based services.

If you would like to share your story you can do that here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUpeiMxR8IhyQt3btkaGtkL05eLRRXZ23QHC6mJLJR5aiuwg/viewform

From the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation:

To Parents & Guardians

Our goal is to help your children discover more about the outdoors while learning about our parks and making connections to the natural world. Here is how it works: pick up a Junior Ranger Guide at the park. When your child completes four of the Junior Ranger Actions for one of the twenty-two parks in the program, they can receive the badge for that park, complete four activities at a second park to receive the Junior Ranger patch, and complete four activities at a third park to receive the certificate signed by Scout. The program is designed for youth ages 6 to 12.

See more:

Junior Ranger

https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/activities/junior-ranger/

Self-Guided Module

Dispute Resolution

Are there strategies when the IEP team doesn't agree?

• A deep dive into the procedural safeguards
• Options for resolving disputes
• Tips to build trust and communication

Available on: October 01, 2023 (and available going forward at your own time)

Registration required!

https://ipulidaho.org/uncategorized/sgm-dispute-resolution/

Office Hours (A zoom call) to discuss this self-guided module takes place on October 25th from 11:30 - 12:30 MST via Zoom.

Link will be provided in the registration email

Contact Idaho Parents Unlimited!

The best method to reach us for assistance is through our website:  

https://ipulidaho.org/connect-with-us#contact-us-here . You can also shoot us a question using the abbreviated version of that form at the bottom of every page on our website, although we may need to get more information from you.

We monitor our intake phone line (208-342-5884) during the workday, and will try to respond to any request there within 24 hours. We use an automated intake phone system, so you will be leaving a message. (Please be sure the number you are leaving us can accept text or voice messages.)

For questions that are not about something in our scope of work, you can still leave a phone message as above, send the question to the form on our website, or shoot us an email at parents@ipulidaho.org.

We keep our website updated with new news and events, and maintain a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Programs and services offered by Idaho Parents Unlimited are supported in part by the U.S. Department of Education (H328M200033) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Affordable Care Act Family to Family Health Information Center (H84MC12896), opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions of either department, endorsement is not assumed