Our mission is to provide advocacy, education, and other actions that empower all families, professionals including advocates, and others with an interest, to enable students with disabilities to reach their full potential.
The purpose of the corporation is to engage in the following activities: The organization shall train and support child advocates in providing care for youth with special needs; assist child advocates for children with disabilities to gain information about and access to available services; provide child advocates with continuing education programs; provide a forum for advocates to share and disseminate information; provide advocacy services on behalf of children with disabilities as well as their care providers, and conduct such other charitable or educational activities and programs in furtherance of the foregoing purposes as may be carried out by a corporation organized under Chapter 180 of the Massachusetts General Laws and described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
We manifest our purpose, fulfill our mission, and embrace our passion to empower everyone through advocacy, education, and action, to enable students with disabilities to reach their full potential by engaging in the following activities:
- Provide free memberships and/or free workshop access to individuals from underserved communities
- Provide free memberships to SEPACs and free access to workshops to one member from each SEPAC
- Provide free advocacy support to underserved communities by matching families with volunteer advocates at focused events
- Develop and promote standards for practicing advocates
- Promote the recognition of advocacy as a profession
- Provide its members with professional information needed to assist clients adequately and appropriately
- Provide workshops, training, and professional information on issues related to special education
- Provide its members with opportunities for continuing education and professional development
- Provide a forum where advocates can discuss common needs and share and disseminate information
- Help advocates establish sound business practices
- Enable peer support among advocates
- Provide information about governmental activities, both federal and state, that impact special education law
- Develop and maintain collegial, collaborative, and cooperative relationships with public and private agencies concerned about special education
- Publish a newsletter
- Provide the public with a list of professional special education advocates
- Encourage members to sit on various statewide advisory boards
History
Our volunteer-run organization was started over thirty years ago in 1984 by busy working parents of children with special needs who believed in continuing education and creating a network of advocates to support children with special needs. In 2002, the organization was incorporated. Since our formation, we have provided continuing professional development and support for advocates and other professionals in the field of Special Education across Massachusetts.
This small group of committed pioneers evolved into a growing membership, under a formalized Board of Directors who continues this spirit and mission today. The dedication and vision of its members, past and present, have established the Special Needs Advocacy Network as a leader in the field of Special Education Advocacy in Massachusetts.
While we are an organization for advocates, we also provide families of children with disabilities a better understanding of the role of an advocate, and act as a resource for advocacy services. We support state and local educational professionals and their organizations to help them protect and further the rights of children with disabilities.
