Parent Center
About
Welcome!
We serve parents of children with disabilities aged birth to 21 enrolled in Charles County Public Schools.
The Charles County Parent Center is supported through the Maryland State Department of Education. We are here to make sure families can work as equal partners with the school system for their child’s education.
The Charles County Parent Center is a resource center for families of children with disabilities. We help families and professionals partner in the educational decision-making process by strengthening skills, providing resources and increasing knowledge.
Our staff includes parents who have a child/children with disabilities and people who have worked closely to support those families. We are trained in the IEP process and understand the difficulties you may face. We are available to assist you with finding information and resources to help support you and your family’s needs.
The Charles County Parent Center is located in F.B. Gwynn Center where you can access our lending library, computer stations, and a variety of free parent training workshops. In addition, we provide a newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on what’s going on with us.
We are so glad you are here and we want to make it easy for you to keep up with us! You can find regular updates, including upcoming workshops, on our events tab. We’ve put together a list of resources for you to check out as well. If you want to connect with usor if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We look forward to working with you and your family!
Upcoming Events
Click on the Events tab for more information about each event.
For more information contact:
Debbie Gilley, Parent Resource Coordinator | 240-776-5217
The Parent Center (located inside the F.B. Gwynn Center) | 5998 Radio Station Road, La Plata, MD 20646
301-934-7456 | pfs@ccboe.com.
Calendar
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sun, Oct 1
Mon, Oct 2
Tue, Oct 3
Wed, Oct 4
Thu, Oct 5
Fri, Oct 6
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CCASC meeting
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Thomas Stone High School (3785 Leonardtown Rd, Waldorf, MD 20601, United States)
Sun, Oct 8
Mon, Oct 9
Tue, Oct 10
Wed, Oct 11
Thu, Oct 12
Fri, Oct 13
Sat, Oct 14
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Fall chess tournament
Thomas Stone High School (3785 Leonardtown Rd, Waldorf, MD 20601, United States)
Sun, Oct 15
Mon, Oct 16
Wed, Oct 18
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SECAC Meeting
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Hybrid format, either at the F. B. Gwynn Center or via Zoom. The Zoom link is provided by email or on SECAC Facebook page.
Thu, Oct 19
Fri, Oct 20
Sat, Oct 21
Sun, Oct 22
Mon, Oct 23
Tue, Oct 24
Wed, Oct 25
Thu, Oct 26
Fri, Oct 27
Sat, Oct 28
Sun, Oct 29
Mon, Oct 30
Tue, Oct 31
Wed, Nov 1
Thu, Nov 2
Sat, Nov 4
Calendar & Category Legend:
- CCPS
- Parent Center
Contact Us
Events
The Charles County Parent Center hosts free parent training workshops that are open to the public. Whether you’re a parent or caregiver, or just someone who loves someone with a disability, these workshops are for you! We bring experts in the topics that interest you most to share helpful information. You can find our updated calendar of events on this page. Registration details are included in each post. We’ve also made it possible for you to search by date, topic, or presenter so it’s easier to find the right event for you!
Please free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions for new topics.
Events
2-Part IEP Clinic
Dates
Part 1: September 28, 2023 5 – 8 p.m.
Part 2: October 12, 2023 6 – 8 p.m.
Location
F.B. Gwynn Educational Center, 5998 Radio Station Road, La Plata, MD
This two workshop mini-series will help parents to gain a better understanding of the IEP process and the IEP document itself.
Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) Meeting Schedule
The Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) is a group that enables the Director of Special Education to seek meaningful input from parents, community partners, service providers, and school administrators on local issues relative to the provision of a free and appropriate public education and the achievement of students with disabilities.
Rethinking ADHD: What Works, What Doesn’t and Why
Dates
October 3, 2023, 6-8 p.m.: Focusing on Grades K-5
October 5, 2023, 6-8 p.m.: Focusing on Grades 6-12
Location
Forrest Career & Tech Center, Dohrman Room A
24005 Point Lookout Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650
ADHD used to be thought of as the most common behavioral disorder affecting school-aged children.
Past events have included training in basic communication sign language, informative sessions led by the Parent’s Place of Maryland, Maryland State Department of Education, Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) and other partners.
Newsletters
Resources
We’ve put together a list of some of the resources we often recommend to families of children with disabilities. If you have additional questions about any of these resources. feel free to contact us.
- Charles County Parent Center Lending Library
- Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC)
- CCPS Special Education Department
- LISS Program - Help from the DAA
- Maryland Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA)
- Maryland Learning Links
- Maryland State Board of Education
- Parents' Back to School Backpack
- The Charles County Autism & Developmental Disabilities Parent Support Group
- The Parent Information Series
- The Parents’ Place of Maryland
- Wrightslaw
- Understood
Charles County Parent Center Lending Library
At the Charles County Parent Center, we have a lending library of books on a variety of topics. If you would like to borrow any of these resources, please contact us, and we can arrange a pick up.
Click here to see our inventory listed on a living document.
Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC)
The Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) needs parent and community participation. This group enables the Director of Special Education to seek meaningful input from parents, community partners, service providers, and school administrators on local issues relative to the provision of a free and appropriate public education and the achievement of students with disabilities.
SECAC typically meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM. The meetings are held in the Parent Center at the F.B. Gwynn Center, 5998 Radio Station Road, La Plata, MD 20646, (301) 539-9102.
CCPS Special Education Department
CCPS Special Education Department
Location
Jesse L. Starkey
Administration Bldg.
5980 Radio Station Road
La Plata, MD 20646
Phone
Main: (301) 932-6610 or (301) 870-3814
24-hour Info. Hotline: (301) 932-6656 or (301) 934-7410
Fax: (301) 932-6651
TTY: (301) 392-7579
Mailing Address
Charles County Public Schools
P.O. Box 2770
La Plata, Maryland 2064
LISS Program - Help from the DAA
What is the DDA?
The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) offers support to people with developmental disabilities. They also help fund most state programs that provide developmental disability services. One of the supports the DDA offers is the Low Intensity Support Service Program (LISS).
What is the LISS Program?
This program is meant for children or adults with disabilities living with their families or in the community. The LISS helps cover the cost of certain disability services or items.
How can I apply for the LISS program?
To make sure there is equal opportunity to access the program, the DDA uses a random selection process. This means you can submit an application, and a certain number of people will be chosen like a lottery.
If you would like to apply for the LISS, you can now do so online! The application for FY 2021 is available until November 23, 2020. Click here for the online application.
You can also request a paper copy from Maryland Community Connection if you don’t want to apply online.
How do I learn more about this?
If you’d like to learn more about the DDA, click here to visit their website. Details for all of their programs and supportive services are listed there. Click here to find more information about the LISS program.
If you have other questions or concerns, you can reach out to Maryland Community Connection. Maryland Community Connection is the provider for LISS in Charles County.
Maryland Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA)
The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) provides support to people living at home and in community with disabilities. Their programs and services help to improve quality of life. The DDA is also the primary funder from the state for community-based programs for people with developmental disabilities.
| Phone | TDD | Toll Free | Fax | |
| (301) 362- 5100 | (301) 362-5131 | (888) 207-2479 | (301) 362- 5130 | smro.dda@maryland.gov |
Maryland Learning Links
Maryland Learning Links is the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services’ (DEI/SES) online portal providing educators and leaders with the special education resources, guidance, and professional learning resources they need to improve outcomes and narrow the gap for students with disabilities.
Our mission is to close existing gaps between children with disabilities and their non-disabled peers by fine-tuning our key measures of success and key strategies for implementation and expanding our innovative tools, resources, and evidence-based practices.
200 W. Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 767-0238
Fax: (410) 767-2488
https://marylandlearninglinks.org/
Maryland State Board of Education
Under the leadership of the State Superintendent of Schools and guidance from the Maryland State Board of Education, the Department develops and implements standards and policy for education programs from pre-kindergarten through high school.
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-2595
(410) 767-0100
visit maryland public schools
Technical Assistance Bulletins and Publications
MSDE Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services provides Technical Assistance Bulletins with up-to-date information on special education services and programs. The bulletins are in chronological order, so older bulletins are at the top of the page, and newer bulletins are found as you scroll down.
Click here for Maryland pubic school programs
Click here for publications detailing Special Education services
Parents' Back to School Backpack
The Charles County Autism & Developmental Disabilities Parent Support Group
The Charles County Autism & Developmental Disabilities Parent Support Group is a local community support group with the intention of providing a safe, supportive space for parents of autistic & developmentally disabled kids. Meetings are on the first of Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm via Zoom mutual support, connection, & resource-sharing. You can also join their private Facebook group for ongoing community and support. If you have additional questions, feel free to connect with them via email at ccparentgroup@gmail.com.
The Parent Information Series
The Parents’ Place of Maryland
The Parents’ Place of Maryland began in 1990 as a grass-roots effort of families, professionals, and community leaders determined to provide resources, support, and information to parents of children with disabilities and special health care needs. Our philosophy of “families helping families” reflects our commitment to supporting families of diverse backgrounds. Today, the Parents’ Place offers a variety of programs and services that continue to support families of children with disabilities and special health care needs. Serving as Maryland’s Parent Training and Information Center and Family-to-Family Health Information Center, Parents’ Place supports thousands of Maryland families each year. Parents’ Place, staffed primarily by parents who have faced these challenges, believes that experienced parents are a key source of knowledge and support to help other families become effective voices for their own children.
802 Cromwell Park Dr. Ste. Q
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
1-800-394-5694
(410) 768 –9100
www.ppmd.org
Wrightslaw
Wrightslaw offers a variety of special education law and advocacy programs taught by nationally-recognized experts in the field of special education law and advocacy. Wrightslaw special education law and advocacy programs are designed to meet the needs of parents, advocates, educators, attorneys, and health care providers who represent children with disabilities.
Pete Wright is an attorney who represents children with special educational needs. His advocacy grew out of his personal educational experiences.
Learn More about Pete Wright, Esquire and Wrightslaw:
Understood
Since 2014, Understood has served millions of families of kids who learn and think differently.
Our programs for Families, Educators, and Young Adults focus on empowering people who learn and think differently and those who support them, offering customized, accessible resources and a compassionate community. We work with educators, health care professionals, researchers, and human resource professionals to provide proven, vetted information.
Learn How to Tell If Your Child’s Difficulties “are serious enough” For an Evaluation
It can be hard to know when to have your child evaluated. You may wonder if your child will outgrow difficulties, or if they’re serious enough for you to take action. But just being concerned may be reason enough to look into it. Our friends at Understood.org have helpful tools to know when to ask for an evaluation, what happens in an evaluation and what the benefits of evaluations are.
5 Common Misconceptions About IEPs
We might know what an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is, but the details can sometimes be tricky. Myths and false assumptions about IEPs abound. Here are five common misconceptions—and the facts about each.
How to Organize Your Child’s IEP Binder