Resource Parent Program

    • Resource Parents are volunteers who have children with exceptional needs in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Whether a child is in general education with an Individualized Education Plan, or receiving support through a Section 504 Plan, Resource Parents are available to support all WCCUSD families. 

      Resource Parents are trained in the IEP process, district policies and procedures and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Resource Parents receive ongoing training to stay current in changes to district information, as well as, State and Federal laws.

      A Resource Parent will provide support and answer your specific questions. They will guide you as you navigate the education process for your child. Resource Parents have extensive experience with specific disabilities and services, and they will direct you to the right person for your situation. 

      Support from Resource Parents is strictly confidential. Contact Resource Parents at (510)307-4634 or (510)307-4669.

      You can also email your concerns to jbishop@茄子视频  or fill out an intake form found here: /

      Would you like to become a Resource Parent?
      For more information please contact:
      Jeanine Bishop 
      3000 Parker Road, Richmond, CA 94806
      (510) 307-4669 

       

      CADRE - The Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Special Education
       
      Resources for parents and educators that support the resolution of disputes through partnership and collaboration.
       

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    Contact Us

    • Why I Am a Resource Parent

      When my son was very young, we were lucky enough to be part of the Parent Infant Program through Children’s Hospital. At the core of their program was the idea that the best thing you could do to help a child with disabilities was to help the family.

      Everyone there had a child with disabilities aged 0-3. We were all new to this. But the newest parents who’d just received their child’s diagnosis were welcomed in. They cried. We cried with them. They soon recognized that everyone in the room had gone through a similar experience. The further away you were from the diagnosis, the more you could be there for the new families. We learned that everyone was different and no one could predict the future, but there were supports in place. 

      They taught us how to ask the right questions. They made sure we were connected to the right services. Many of the people who worked there also had children with special needs. They talked about both the good and the bad. We could see there was a path. Others had done this before us.

      They taught us about IEPs and sat with us at our first ones. They showed that having a support system was vital in this path forward. The psychologist who had an adult daughter with disabilities shared how she had found support throughout her family’s journey, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. I am incredibly thankful to her for showing me the path and opening my eyes to angels along the way who have come at the most important times of our lives. The best way I know how to say thank you is by continuing to be there for more families who walk this path. 

      Once my son was school age it made sense for me to join the Resource Parent program in our school district. It was important to continue to share what I had learned so far and continue to make connections and build supports along the way. I was helping myself as I was hopefully helping others and you never know when that little bit of information just might make a world of difference. 

      At this point I have 27 years of experience dealing with teachers, social workers, therapists, doctors, health insurance, social services and specialists of every kind. Not everyone gets their diagnosis at 0-3 or at 35 weeks gestation like we did, but those initial feelings are the same. I still continue to receive help along the path. The least I can do is to share what I’ve learned and so I continue as a Resource Parent.