July 2025

Upcoming Events and Trainings

We hope our families are enjoying the start of summer! If you need to find a place to cool down this summer, or need help managing the extreme heat, take a look at the very bottom of this email for some resources.

We have a great parent training TOMORROW, Tuesday July 8th at 1pm on the Special Education Process.

This is a virtual bilingual training led by two of our Parent Support Specialists, Berta Mata and Tamiesha Lawrence. We originally wanted this session to be in person at the Petworth Library, but repairs at the library made that impossible, so we are now presenting via Zoom.

Families can register for tomorrow's training here - https://www.tfaforms.com/4975591?tfa_109=701R700000UNYSk.

We also have the Summer session of PLA (Parent Leadership Academy) starting this Wednesday, July 9th at 7pm.

Parent can apply here or here - https://forms.gle/7q26HxU7DrqFSWwk6 for either the Summer or Fall sessions, information is below and also here - https://www.aje-dc.org/2025/07/07/summer-session-of-parent-leadership-academy-pla-starts-this-week/

Later this month have two in-person trainings on  July 23rd at the Petworth Library

11AM - Spanish training on Working with Doctors registration link  https://www.tfaforms.com/4975591?tfa_109=701R700000ULH4c

10 AM - English training on Secondary Transition registration link: https://www.tfaforms.com/4975591?tfa_109=701R700000ULOSf

ICMYI - Health Justice Program at AJE

The Health Justice Program at AJE sent out its first email newsletter recently.

It has a lot of great resources and information for DC families and you can find it here - https://conta.cc/4kguhXm.

You can also learn more about their work on our blog. Here are some recent posts

• The Parent Ambassador Program
• DC Medicaid & Alliance Updates in DC: What You Need to Know from the FY26 Budget
• Investing in Ward 8 Health and Equity: What Parents Should Know About the FY 2026 DC Budget

Of course, following us on Social Media is a great way to stay in touch and stay aware of the Health Justice Project's work!

Summer is great time to schedule well-child exams and make sure your child's vaccinations are up to date!

Immunizations and regular visits to the doctor help protect students’ health and readiness to learn. The best place for a family to access immunizations is their primary medical provider as part of a comprehensive well-child visit where the Universal Health Certificate is completed.

To learn more about health forms and immunizations required for school, please visit the OSSE website and for more information on vaccine services and access, please visit the DC Health website.

AJE wants to remind parents that both HPV opt-out forms as well as religious exemptions for immunizations must be submitted each school year. 

If you need to request a new exemption remember you must follow the process outlined here – Religious Exemption Request Process.

Parents must submit the name of each child, their date of birth, and the school or childcare facility where they are or will be enrolled to: doh.immunization@dc.gov in order to obtain a blank exemption form to complete.

Strong Start

The Strong Start DC Early Intervention Program provides early interventions, therapeutic services, and other services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C, along with the District of Columbia Public Law 1-2-119 mandates that infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families receive coordinated services early enough to make a difference. Families who have questions about Strong Start might find these resources helpful: 10 Things Families Need to Know…

The Strong Start DC Early Intervention Program serves as the single point of entry for infants and toddlers in Washington DC whose families have concerns about their development, and they publish this Central Directory of Early Intervention Resources, and this document detailing parent’s rights during early intervention (Part C Procedural Safeguards).

If you have any concerns about your toddler, you can refer a child to Strong Start by submitting a referral online.

If you would like to connect with other parents or community members, visit the Parent Support Groups and DCPL Community Playground website here. 

ICMYI - Helpful Resources for Managing the Heat!

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About AJE:



Advocates for Justice and Education is the federally designated Parent Training and Information Center and the Health Information Center for DC. AJE seeks to empower families, youth, and the community to be effective advocates to ensure that children and youth, particularly those who have special needs, receive access to appropriate education and health services.

Our passion is empowering families by equipping parents and students with disabilities with the tools they need to be their own advocates.

Have questions? We are here to educate, advocate and empower. Contact us today!