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Navigating Excellence - Parent Center Assistance & Collaboration Team
Region A E-News
| | Message From Diana & Jeannette | |
This year has shown us that when we come together with integrity, compassion, and purpose, we create spaces where every family feels seen, supported, and empowered. The work is not easy, but it is deeply meaningful—and it is only possible because of the collective strength of our village.
Let’s carry this spirit forward into the new year, continuing to lift each other, grow together, and to ensure that every child and family has the resources and opportunities they deserve.
And as we prepare for Thanksgiving Day with family and friends, we want to take this opportunity to express our deepest thanks and sincere appreciation for each and every one of you. Learning from you, supporting you, and helping sustain the community of practice to which we all contribute means more to us that you will ever know. Muchas gracias!!!
With gratitude and hope for a brighter future!
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2025 NE-PACT Regional Conference Recap: The Regional Conference took place October 28–30 at the Courtyard Marriott Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD, with 58 participants. This year’s theme, “Collective Impact in a Rapidly Changing Environment,” featured sessions led by Parent Center staff and Technical Assistance providers, offering practical strategies for advocacy and skill-building, building staff capacity, and using technology across types and tiers of services. On Wednesday night, attendees celebrated 50 years of IDEA and 22 years of NE-PACT! Participants rated the conference highly across key areas, with 95% overall satisfaction, including high marks for quality, relevance, and usefulness. Find the materials here.
Supporting Families to Make Informed Educational Choices: The conference featured an engaging plenary panel facilitated by Diana Autin. Panelists Lilliana Diaz-Pedrosa (AFC), Cambria D. Russell (FCSN), and Rochanda Hiligh-Thomas (AJE) shared strategies and insights on empowering families to make informed decisions about their children’s education. The discussion highlighted the importance of collaboration, clear communication, and accessible resources to support families in navigating educational choices. Participants also shared information about needed resources and professional development to help Parent Center staff support families in making these educational decisions.
Celebration Dinner: Wednesday evening was a memorable celebration honoring 50 years of IDEA and 22 years of NE-PACT. Attendees gathered to recognize achievements, strengthen connections, and reflect on the impact of their work across Region A. The dinner highlighted the dedication of Parent Center staff, youth leaders, and families in driving positive change, and it was a joyful conclusion to a day full of learning and collaboration.
2025 NE-PACT Conference Photos: For more photos from the conference, click here to access the full photo folder.
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Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember | |
Region A Drop-In Call: The next Drop-in call will take place on Tuesday, December 3, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, EST. Our featured presenter will be Kimberly Kadziolka from the Parent Network of Western New York, sharing insights from the 2025 Native American Workgroup Convening.
Region A Parent Center Showcase: APNI will be featured on Tuesday, December 16, from 10:00–11:00 AM, highlighting its Parent Leader Academy (Academia de Padres Líderes de APNI). This program provides a series of training sessions on Special Education topics, culminating in a graduation where parents are recognized for their leadership and achievements. Graduates go on to support other families in their communities, as will be shared during the presentation. Thank you to Silka Santiago, Arelys Class, and Vilmari Santana. Join us to learn about collaborative opportunities and new ideas in Region A. Interpretation will be provided for English listeners, as the showcase will be delivered in Spanish.
2024-2025 Parent Center Data Collection: It’s that time of year again! The CPIR - Part 2 data collection form is due Wednesday, December 17. This page provides the tools needed for collecting and submitting data for the 2024-2025 program year (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), along with supporting materials and an FAQ page.
CPIR Calendar: Don’t forget to check out the HUB Central Events calendar at the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) for more webinars and events.
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ABOUT THE REGION A PARENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER
The Navigating Excellence-Parent Assistance and Collaboration Team (NE-PACT), the Region A Technical Assistance Center, provides technical assistance to federally-funded parent centers -- Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) - NEPACT Logo located in the states of CT-AFCAMP, CT-CPAC, DC-AJE, DE-PIC, MD-PPMD, ME-MPF, MA-FCSN, NH-PIC, NJ-SPAN, NJ-ASCF, NY-AFC, NY-CIDA, NY-LIAC, NY-UWS, NY-Starbridge, NY-INCLUDEnyc, NY-Sinergia, NY-PNWNY, PA-HUNE, PA- ME, PA-PEAL, PR-APNI, RI-RIPIN, VI-DRVI and VT-VFN. These Parent Centers are independent non-profit organizations. We also provide support to emerging parent centers and parent organizations serving families of children with or at risk of being identified as having disabilities. In addition, we work with early intervention and education agencies (local, state and federal level) seeking information regarding best practices in involving parents of children with disabilities in systems improvement.
The center activities are specifically designed to:
- Enhance the capacity of parent centers to provide effective services to families of children with special needs and to work effectively with their states to improve special education and early intervention systems; and,
- Facilitate their connections to the larger technical assistance network that supports research-based training, including educating parents about effective practices that improve results for children with disabilities. For more information click here.
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