The EEP Project - Education Empowerment Program
The Education Empowerment Program (EEP) was created by the South Central Los Angeles Regional Center (SCLARC) and the Center for Disability Studies at the USC UCEDD. It was designed to help families access special education services through information, support, advocacy, and legal services.
State and Federal law requires the school district to provide all services necessary for a parent to assist their child in accessing his or her education. When Districts fail to carry out their obligations, parents generally seek provision of this service from a regional center. The regional center is ultimately responsible for providing and/or paying for services to consumers who may be eligible for services that are not provided from other agencies or resources. The EEP’s Mission is to ensure that our children are served by requiring the districts to provide the required services.
The EEP program is designed to first provide information to SCLARC service coordinators, who will then be able to pass the information along to the parents. Parents are provided with training about their special education rights and assigned an advocate or attorney to help obtain education placement and services for their child.
- Obtain special education records
- Create academic goals with IEP team
- Obtain appropriate school and classroom placement
- Obtain related services, such as, speech, behavioral, and occupational therapy
- Obtain any other supports a student may need to access their education
- Review parent and school educational records
- Attend IEP meetings with parents
- Attend informal conferences, mediation, and due process hearings with parents
- Draft compliance complaints, due process requests, and manage student’s case from start to finish
Population Served: Students with Disabilities (3 – 22 years) and their Families
Program Lead: Barbara Wheeler, Ph.D.
bwheeler@chla.usc.edu
Contact: Christine Little
Advocate
EEP@chla.usc.edu