Parent Network of Western New York (PNWNY): PNWNY geared up for its annual Recreation Festival April 18, 2026, bringing together many local recreation programs and expecting nearly 75 families to attend. They also recently appeared on Spectrum News to discuss the challenges families face when children with autism age out of the education system. You can watch the segment here.

Region A Drop-In Call: The next Drop-In call will take place on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST. Megan Cote from National Center on Deafblindness will serve as the TA presenter. Join the call here.

2026 NEPACT Follow-Up Forum: NEPACT will host its 2026 Follow-Up Forum on Tuesday, June 2, from 12:00 PM (lunch included) to 5:00 PM and Wednesday, June 3, from 7:30 AM (breakfast included) to 4:00 PM. The event will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott, Crystal City / Reagan Airport, 2899 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. Additional details and registration information will be shared with the Parent Centers that registered to attend. The forum will explore how we can achieve collective impact across our region in areas including empowering staff for success, early childhood (with a panel presentation featured at the forum), transition to adult life, working with Native American/Indigenous families, working with LEP and immigrant families, and working with military-connected families. We will also have follow-up activities related to Engaging Families in a COVID-Fatigued and Divided World, and a federal policy update.

• The Military Families convening will take place on June 4 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the same location. The Native American Families Convening will be moved to a virtual format in Summer/Fall 2026.

Parent Center Showcase: Please join us on June 16 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM for a showcase that will include a presentation from the Federation for Children with Special Needs and will showcase their "Vision of Community" conference. The conference hosts over 900 registrants, is presented with live interpretation in seven languages, and provides language support for over 60 languages.” They will also discuss their very effective and creative “conference watch parties” that they set up with community partners. To join click here.

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.

Building Resilient Funding Strategies for Small and Midsize Nonprofits: This webinar explores how nonprofits can strengthen financial sustainability by focusing on what they already do well, rather than trying to chase every funding opportunity. It emphasizes aligning funding strategies with organizational strengths, prioritizing key revenue streams, and making thoughtful, strategic adjustments over time to stay stable and effective. Learn more here.

Family-Centered Care: A Resource for Organizations: This resource outlines core principles and best practices for organizations implementing family-centered services, including treating families as partners, respecting family strengths and choices, and ensuring services are responsive to individual needs. It provides guidance on building organizational practices that support collaboration, communication, and shared decision-making, helping nonprofits create services that are more effective and meaningful for the families they serve. Find out more here.

IEL Youth Transition Reports: Outcomes for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities (2025): The Institute for Educational Leadership is sharing a resource that offers an annual snapshot of key socioeconomic indicators to highlight the outcome gaps between youth with and without disabilities. The report highlights critical findings in areas such as high school and college completion, employment trends, poverty levels, and the prevalence of opportunity youth. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding these persistent disparities to better advocate for equitable education and workforce opportunities. Read more here.

The Burnout Epidemic in Nonprofits: Solutions for Both Organizations and Staff: This resource explores how chronic stress, high workloads, and emotional demands are contributing to widespread burnout across the nonprofit sector. It emphasizes that burnout is not just an individual issue, but an organizational one, and highlights strategies such as redistributing workloads, improving communication, setting realistic expectations, and fostering a supportive workplace culture. It also encourages nonprofits to prioritize staff well-being as essential to sustaining their mission and impact. Read more here.

Chronic Absenteeism Trends in 27 States by Income, English Learner Status & Race: A new analysis across 27 states shows chronic absenteeism is still far above pre‑pandemic levels, especially for low‑income students, English learners, and Black and Hispanic students. These groups saw the biggest spikes during COVID and are recovering more slowly than their peers. The findings highlight ongoing equity gaps and the need for targeted support to re‑engage students and families. Read more here.

Artificial Intelligence

AI Social Companions and Youth: What Parents Need to Know: Children and Screens is sharing a resource that offers practical guidance to navigate the growing presence of artificial intelligence in children's lives. The article highlights steps such as having open, judgment-free conversations about AI use, establishing screen-free boundaries, prioritizing real-world social practice, and helping youth understand that AI tools simulate, rather than feel, real emotion. It also emphasizes the importance of modeling healthy human connections and recognizing the potential risks of emotional dependency on technology. Read more here.

Working with Interpreters in Schools: Federal law requires that schools must communicate with parents and caregivers in a language that they understand. Guidance clarifies that schools may not rely on students or their siblings to provide interpretation. To meet these legal requirements, schools need to work with interpreters who can facilitate communication between families and staff. Learn more here.

The Bullying Prevention Self-assessment: This 12‑item self-assessment tool helps school teams evaluate whether the essential components of an effective bullying‑prevention system are in place. It supports schools in identifying strengths, pinpointing areas for improvement, and monitoring progress over time. Access the tool here.

Economic and Concrete Supports: A Key Strategy for Family Well‑Being: This policy brief highlights how providing families with economic and concrete supports—such as cash assistance, child care, housing help, and other basic‑needs resources—can significantly reduce the risk of child maltreatment and improve overall family stability. The report underscores that more than 60% of maltreatment findings involve neglect, often tied to economic hardship rather than abuse. Read more here.

As Budgets Tighten, Some State Lawmakers Reconsider Costly Private School Vouchers:  Check out this piece from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities here.

Instructions for Developing a Health Care Person-Centered Profile: The Health Care Person-Centered Profile can help people provide more tailored care if you are hospitalized or sent to another care site without the direct support of your caregivers, family, neighbors, or friends. If you need help or cannot complete your own Profile, the trusted person who helps you complete it should know you well. Learn more here.

How-To Materials for Using Census Data: The US Census Bureau has information on how to understand and use US Census data here.

New Procedures May Complicate Special Education Settlements in New Jersey: New Jersey is changing how special education disputes can be settled, and these updates may make the process more challenging for school districts. Beginning January 1, 2026, Administrative Law Judges will no longer sign settlement agreements as final decisions, after federal reviewers found the state’s previous practice out of compliance with IDEA requirements. All settlements will now need to be completed privately outside the Office of Administrative Law, increasing the responsibility on districts to ensure agreements meet federal and state standards. These changes aim to bring New Jersey into full compliance with IDEA but may add complexity and heighten compliance risks for districts. Read more here.

Effective Dropout Strategies: The National Dropout Prevention Center highlights 15 research‑supported strategies that help keep students engaged and on track to graduate. These approaches address the varied reasons students leave school and work best when combined into a comprehensive plan. Read more here.

Lawmakers Show Record Support for Child Care and Early Learning Programs: Lawmakers across the country are demonstrating record support for child care and early learning programs, signaling growing bipartisan recognition of their importance to families, educators, and the economy. Recent federal and state actions reflect increased momentum to strengthen child care funding, expand access to high‑quality early learning, and stabilize the workforce. This heightened attention underscores a broader commitment to ensuring young children and their families have the resources they need to thrive. Read more here.

Key Documents: School Support and Accountability: The US Department of Education has a web page focused on ESEA including ESEA Consolidated state plans and amendments to each state’s plan; waivers requested by states to ESEA requirements; Department peer review of state assessment systems; and performance reports regarding state implementation of ESEA programs, all in a sortable, searchable table (or you can access by selecting a state from the map), here.

Educational Equity Is Good for All Kids: This article explores what true educational equity means and why it’s essential for helping all children learn and thrive. It emphasizes that equity isn’t a slogan—it requires understanding students’ diverse needs, removing barriers linked to poverty, and creating conditions where every child can succeed. Read full article here.

Children Are Languishing in Foster Care — And Federal Data Is Making It Harder to See: This article highlights how thousands of children remain stuck in foster care far longer than necessary — and how gaps and delays in federal data reporting make the crisis harder to track and address. It calls for stronger data systems, greater transparency, and renewed urgency to ensure children don’t spend years adrift in foster care. Read full article here.

How do you give a child struggling with autism more stability? Call in the Grandparents: Sociologist Eva Kahana, a professor at Case Western Reserve University, conducted a literature review of dozens of studies about parenting, special needs kids, and familial relationships. She suggests grandparents are ideal hangout buddies for children, especially those diagnosed with autism. Read more here.

Helping people live well at all ages: This World Health Organization (WHO) resource introduces a life course approach to health, emphasizing that well-being is shaped by physical, mental, social, and environmental factors across all stages of life. It highlights the importance of early support, prevention, and coordinated services that address key transitions such as childhood, adolescence, and aging. The framework encourages a shift from reactive care to proactive, person-centered approaches that help individuals and families thrive over time. Learn more here.

ESEA Requirements for Homeless Students: The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires school districts (LEAs) to reserve Title I, Part A funds to provide services to homeless students, ensuring they have equal access to education, including public preschool. These funds support identification, enrollment, transportation, and academic success. Find out more from this SchoolHouse Connection piece here.

Ed Department May Offload Special Education Soon, Advocates Warn: Advocates are raising alarms after reports that the U.S. Department of Education is considering transferring key responsibilities for special education oversight to another federal agency. They fear such a move could weaken enforcement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and reduce accountability for states. Disability groups argue that shifting oversight away from the department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services could jeopardize protections for students with disabilities and diminish the expertise needed to monitor compliance. Read more here.

Information that can be shared with refugee parents about rights/status/ICE response: The International Refugee Assistance project provides information and training to refugees and to legal practitioners. They have put together some documentation (including videos in several languages) helping those with refugee status to understand their current rights and how to respond if engaged by immigration enforcement. Learn here.

What Does The Research Say About Inclusive Education: Research highlighted by Dr. Kathleen Whitbread underscores that inclusive education—teaching students with disabilities alongside their nondisabled peers—leads to stronger academic and social outcomes. Studies show that students in inclusive settings make greater progress, benefit from higher expectations, and gain important social and communication skills. The article also connects today’s inclusion practices to the civil rights principles established in Brown v. Board of Education, emphasizing that equal access to education is a fundamental right. Read more here.

Strengthening Youth Justice Systems: What State Lawmakers Are Learning: State legislators from across the country are exploring new strategies to improve youth justice systems, with a focus on keeping young people safely in their communities rather than placing them in distant facilities. Through the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Youth Justice Fellowship, lawmakers examined effective reforms, including expanding behavioral health supports, reducing reliance on detention and probation, and improving due‑process protections. They also discussed how early investment in mental health services can reduce long‑term system involvement and improve outcomes for youth. Read more here.

LGBTQ2IA+ Families 2026 Social Media Toolkit: Brazelton Touchpoints Center is sharing a resource that offers practical tools for spreading the word about their free virtual conversation series, Parenting with Pride. The toolkit highlights steps such as building communication skills for navigating difficult conversations, strengthening emotional well-being amid systemic stress, and harnessing the power of lived experience and storytelling for advocacy. It also emphasizes the importance of community connection and collective action to help families move from isolation to belonging. Read more here.

5 Relaxing Activities for Sleep: Mental wellbeing starts with the basics: taking care of yourself and your body. That includes sleep! Quality rest is one of the most important — and overlooked — parts of daily health. Learn more here.

Military Families Are Homeschooling at Twice the Rate, why? More military families are turning to homeschooling—now at about 12%, roughly double the civilian rate. Frequent moves, deployments, and uneven school quality make homeschooling an appealing option for stability and continuity. The article notes that homeschooled military students often perform well academically, and recent federal attention suggests growing support for expanding educational choices for these families. Read more here.

Wise Practices for Outreach, Messaging, and Engagement With American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities: The CEACR Wise Practices Toolkit offers guidance for researchers seeking to engage respectfully and effectively with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. The resource outlines principles for building trust‑centered partnerships and includes recommendations for working with Tribal leadership structures and community partners, as well as using terms, language, and imagery that honor cultural values. Access toolkit here.

NAFSCE Resources: Check out the resource library of the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement, including research, articles, toolkits, and websites focused on family and community engagement. Resources can be searched by keyword, subject area, type of resource, and date, here.

The Ecology of Poverty and Children’s Brain Development: Science Direct features this review of studies on how poverty impacts children’s brain development, here.

Investigation Reveals Extreme Overuse of Seclusion and Restraint: An Education Week investigation uncovered alarming misuse of seclusion and restraint in a school district, with students—many with disabilities—being isolated or physically restrained far more often than reported. The findings show that these practices were used not only during crises but also for minor behaviors, raising serious concerns about student safety, trauma, and lack of oversight. The report highlights the urgent need for stronger protections, transparency, and alternatives that support students without causing harm. Read more here.

New Study Provides Evidence that Social-Emotional Learning Improves Academic Performance: Read the summary of this exciting new study from the USC Rossier School of Education here.

4 Things K–12 Districts Should Know About ADA Title II Compliance: K–12 districts must ensure that all digital content meets accessibility standards to comply with federal regulations related to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Learn more here.

ABLE Youth Transition Toolkit: The ABLE National Resource Center has released a new toolkit to help families, educators, and youth understand how ABLE accounts can support financial independence during the transition to adulthood. It explains eligibility, benefits, and practical ways ABLE savings can be used to support education, employment, and long‑term goals. Access Toolkit here.

How Social-Emotional Learning Can Help Students Who Have Experienced Trauma: While social-emotional learning is important for all students, it is especially valuable for students who have experienced trauma. Find out more here.