Welcome to the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
Empowering families as advocates and partners in improving education, health, and mental health outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth.
SPAN’s individual assistance, workshops, and resources are available in languages other than English.
About SPAN
Event Calendar
News & Press
What SPAN Offers
SPAN is involved in a variety of key activities, including:
Building Bridges to Success: Parent Training & Information (PTI) Center | Helping families work together with professionals across the systems that serve children
New Jersey Inclusive Child Care Project (NJICCP) | Including children with disabilities in typical early childhood settings
Special Education Volunteer Advocates (SEVA) | Increasing the number of underserved families who can be provided with in-person support
Transition from School to Adult Life | Graduation, secondary education, employment & independent living
Community of Care Consortium | For children with special health care needs
Empowering Women in Community Leadership for Healthier Families | To reduce the risk of FAS/FASD & lead poisoning
Family to Family Health Information Center @ Family Voices-NJ | Keeping families at the center of children’s healthcare
Family WRAP | Wisdom, resources, advocacy, parent to parent support
Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health NJ State Organization (NJ FFCMH) | Children’s mental health matters
NJ Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NJLEND) | Preparing the next generation of health and allied health leaders to address the needs of children and young adults
Parents as Champions for Healthy Schools | Helping to promote student success
Sister to Sister Community Doulas of Essex County | Connecting Essex County’s underserved women and men to community doula supports
Special Education Parent Advisory Groups | Supporting parents and community members to collaborate with districts on critical issues relating to students with disabilities
Youth in the Know | Nothing about us without us!
Child Welfare Family Advocacy Program | In-court support for parents involved with child protective services
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Mentoring & Family Engagement Project | Supporting deaf/hard of hearing children and their families
Education & Health Rights of Children and Youth with Special Needs in Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice | Helping families work together with professionals across the systems that serve children
Essex County Family Council & Grandmothers as Caregivers | Strong, powerful, unified families and compassionate, understanding professionals
Military Family Support 360 Center | Assisting active duty and retired military, national guard, and reserve personnel throughout NJ with infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities
NJ’s Early Childhood Initiatives | Celebrating children’s development & improving early identification
NJ Statewide Parent to Parent (NJP2P) | Parents helping parents…it’s a simple concept that works!