Community Parent Resource Centers (84.328C)

The purpose of the Special Education Parent Information Centers program is to ensure that parents of children with disabilities receive high-quality, relevant, and useful training and information to help improve outcomes for their children.

Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) promote the effective education of children with disabilities by “strengthening the role and responsibility of parents and ensuring that families of such children have meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at school and at home” (20 U.S.C. 1400(c)(5)(B)). CPRCs, consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1472(b)(4)), meet the specific needs of families in geographically defined communities who experience significant isolation from available sources of information and support.

Under this priority, CPRCs must increase – parents’ capacity to help their children (a) meet developmental and functional goals and challenging academic achievement goals that have been established for all children; and (b) be prepared to lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible.

Performance Measurement Information

For the purposes of ED reporting under 34 CFR 75.110, ED has established a set of performance measures that are designed to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and quality of the Special Education Parent Information Centers program.

Applications must describe: 

• The data collection and reporting methods the applicant would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data.  
• The applicant's capacity to collect and report reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in other projects or research. These measures are:
  • Program Performance Measure 1: The percentage of materials used by projects that are deemed to be of high quality.
  • Program Performance Measure 2: The percentage of products and services deemed to be of high relevance to educational and early intervention policy and practice.
  • Program Performance Measure 3: The percentage of all products and services deemed to be useful to improve educational or early intervention policy or practice. 

FY 2026 Funding

Estimated Available Funds: $4,500,000

Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $150,000 for a single budget period of 12 months, with a total award not to exceed $750,000.

Program Authority

• 20 U.S.C. 1472 and 1481 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Applicable Regulations

• The Education Department General Administrative in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. 
• The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of ED in 2 CFR part 3485.
• The Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of ED in 2 CFR part 3474.

FY2026 Abstract Template

Download the abstract template for FY 2026.

Eligible Applicants

Local Parent Organizations

Note: Section 1472(a)(2) of IDEA defines a “local parent organization” as a private nonprofit organization (other than an institution of higher education (IHE)) that--

1. Has a board of directors--
2. The majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26 from the community to be served;
3. That includes--
4. Individuals working in the fields of special education, related services, and early intervention; and
5. Individuals with disabilities; and
6. The parent and professional members of which are broadly representative of the population to be served, including low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children; and
7. Has as its mission serving families of children with disabilities who are ages birth through 26 and have the full range of disabilities described in section 1401(3) of IDEA.

Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant’s certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item described above if that item applies to a State or national parent organization, together with a statement by the State or parent organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.

Awarded centers can be found on the Parent Center Hub.

FY 2022 Grantee

FY 2021 Grantees