Family Resources

Thank you to PPS Members Amy Risch, Cristy Chung and Maggie Harrison for putting together this list of links and resources available for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) families.

California Safe Schools Coalition | www.casafeschools.org
Their website provides a 400+ page resource guide with detailed information on the laws covering school access, school responsibilities and lots of research about school safety. They have also created an All Families Welcome brochure with COLAGE that details ways of Making Your School Safe for Students with LGBT parents.

GLSEN | www.glsen.org
Gay and Lesbian & Straight Education Network provides resources for making schools safer for LGBT kids and families. Their website includes information and an extensive library of on and offline resources.

Our Family Coalition | www.ourfamily.org
Our Family Coalition (OFC) promotes the civil rights and well being of Bay Area families with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents and prospective parents through education, advocacy, social networking, and grassroots community organizing. OFC has over 600 family members and serves over 2500 people each year. OFC currently offers a wide array of services that support LGBT families with children,

COLAGE - Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere | www.colage.org
Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere is a youth group for kids 8 and up. They have regular programs for youth with LGBT parents and also provide resources and training.

GroundSpark - Ingniting Change Through Media | www.womedia.org
GroundSpark creates visionary films and dynamic educational campaigns that move individuals and communities to take action for a more just world. GroundSpark's Respect For All Project facilitates the development of inclusive, bias-free schools and communities by providing media resources, support and training to youth, educators and service providers.

SFUSD LGBTQ Support Services | www.healthiersf.org/LGBTQ
The SFUSD Health Curriculum includes lesson plans and materials for Gay Pride Month in April. Activity ideas, resources and lesson plans are available for all K-12 grade levels. Each elementary school has a Health Advocate and each middle and high school has a Sexual Minority Youth Liaison; inquire at your school site. SFUSD's Support Services for Sexual Minority Youth can provide assistance in getting the curriculum m implemented.

Call to action: Contact Congress to support funding for student meals

Go to the PASA (Parents Advocating School Accountability) website - www.pasasf.org - for background information, links to contact information for Congresspeople and sample letters to use.

Other Nutrition resources:

PEACHSF | www.peachsf.org
Parents, teachers, school administrators, healthcare professionals, and advocates for better school food in San Francisco. 

SFUSD Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Committee | sfusdfood.org

• SFUSD Wellness Policy
• Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications
• Grab n Go Breakfast pilot
• Grants to start a School Garden
• Strategies to implement the Wellness Policy at your school
• Latest news links regarding nutrition, student physical activity and non-food based fundraising

Asthma Task Force | www.sfgov.org
The mission of the San Francisco Asthma Task Force is to prevent asthma and to improve the quality of life for people with asthma, especially the underserved, who live or work in the City and County of San Francisco, by the use of advocacy, legislative action and citywide strategies.

 

 

 

Special Education

Thanks to PPS-SF Member Rachel Norton for putting together a list of resources for Special Education!

New blog: SF Special Education Examiner on Examiner.com
New blog on Special Education issues by Robin Hansen. Featuring articles to increase awareness of the struggles special education children and families have.

Community Advisory Committee for Special Education | www.cacspedsf.org
This majority-parent committee advises the Board of Education on special education policy and planning and is an important vehicle for parents to have a voice in our district's special education policies and procedures.

Meetings are monthly, at Open Gate, 2601 Mission St., with free childcare and interpretation services available. Call 920-5040 for more information, or email cac_specialed@hotmail.com.

SFUSD Special Education webpage | on the SFUSD website
SFUSD maintains a large section of its website devoted to Special Education. Some of the resources that can be found here are:

Support for Families with Children with Disabilities| www.supportforfamilies.org
Support for Families, and its resource center, Open Gate, are an invaluable local resource for families of children with disabilities. They offer monthly IEP (Individual Education Plan) trainings, a book and toy lending library, support groups, a parent mentor program and a very popular resource fair every spring. Open Gate also maintains a help line at 920-5040.

Protection & Advocacy Inc. | www.pai-ca.org
Protection & Advocacy Inc. offers advocacy services for people with disabilities. The publications section of their web site has a comprehensive section on special education law.

Community Alliance for Special Education | www.caseadvocacy.org
Community Alliance for Special Education will provide low-cost legal representation in special education disputes, as well as advocates who will attend IEP meetings with families. They co-publish the invaluable Special Education Rights and Responsibilities handbook with Protection & Advocacy.

DCYF Special Needs Inclusion Project (SNIP) website | www.snipsf.org
The DCYF Special Needs Inclusion Project (SNIP) website provides a one-stop shop for all your inclusion information needs! The site is evolving, with new resources and tips being added regularly. Of particular interest are two documents: The Landscape document provides an overview of key data on San Francisco’s children and youth with disabilities and the Needs Assessment shows the result of a series of focus groups conducted with families of children and youth with disabilities and service providers.