Our Programs and Projects
Working Hands-on with Families and Professionals
Making a positive impact on the lives of all families, with a focus on children, youth, and young adults with the greatest needs, including those with disabilities and special healthcare needs.
SPAN receives numerous federal, state, and other grants and funding to run a variety of programs and projects that support our vision and mission. Through the activities of these programs, we provide families and professionals with the resources and support they need to ensure that their children become fully participating and contributing members of our communities and society.
Our Programs and Projects by Category
Building Bridges to Success: Parent Training & Information (PTI) Center
Helping families know their rights and best practices to ensure that infants, toddlers, children, youth, and young adults with disabilities receive the early intervention, education, and transition services they need for a productive life
Center for Youth Voice, Youth Choice
The Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice is a resource center for youth with disabilities.
Community of Care Consortium
Bringing together stakeholders who care about maternal and child health, including promoting health, preventing disabilities, and supporting families of children with special healthcare needs
Early Childhood Initiatives
Celebrating children’s development; improving early identification; working to get children and families the services and support they need by addressing the needs of parents, parents-to-be, infants, and young children; and focusing on parent leadership development
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Mentoring and Family Engagement Project
Increasing the number of newborns and infants identified as Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) enrolled in Early Intervention services, and providing support to families/parents/caregivers of newborns and infants who are D/HH
Education & Health Rights of Children and Youth with Special Needs in Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice
Training and supporting families of children and youth with special needs in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; training all new Department of Children and Families Social Workers as part of their orientation
Family to Family Health Information Center @ Family Voices-NJ
Providing support for families of children with special health care needs to access health care, health coverage and financing, community services, early screening, transition to adult services, and family-professional partnerships
Family WRAP
Providing support on decision-making rights about a child’s health and education, support group resources, and respite care; preparing for IEP meetings, health care appointments, and hospital visits; and resolving conflicts with school and health staff
Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Chapter
Providing information, training, technical assistance, and support to families and youth with emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs, and working to improve services and policies that impact them
Genetic Alliance on the National Genetics Information and Family Support Center
The Family Center provides tools and resources to support family engagement in genetic services through a partnership between Genetic Alliance, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, and Parent to Parent USA
Health Care Enrollment and NJ Paid Family Leave
Since March of 2020, NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid has followed special rules related to the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). These rules have allowed most NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid members to keep their health coverage, even if they no longer qualified – for example, if their income was too high.
Juvenile Justice Family Advocacy Initiative
Assistance to Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) families with navigating the juvenile justice system and accessing services, resources, and information needed to knowledgeably advocate for and support their child.
Kinship Care
Providing information, training, support, and leadership development to parents and grandparents in Essex County, especially those who are raising children, youth and young adults with special needs, including mental health needs.
Leaders Empowered as Advocates with Dignity (LEAD) project
The Leaders Empowered as Advocates with Dignity (LEAD) project proposes to serve families and individuals of childbearing age for whom their children or future children are at risk of preventable I/DDs, specifically FAS/FASD.
Medicaid Unwinding Project
Conduct outreach and education to ensure New Jersey families are aware of NJ Familycare/Medicaid unwinding, specific eligibility, enrollment qualifications, timelines, and the availability of resources and services in their communities.
Military Family Support 360 Center
Assisting military families—active duty and retired military and National Guard and Reserve personnel throughout New Jersey—who have infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities aged birth to 26
New Jersey Family Engagement Hub
NJFEH provides technical assistance (TA) and training to the New Jersey (NJ) State educational agency (SEA) and local educational agencies (LEAs), educators, administrators, family organizations, family leaders, families, and community-based organizations (CBO) in the implementation and enhancement of systemic and effective family engagement (FE) policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student development and academic achievement.
New Jersey Inclusive Child Care Project (NJICCP)
Provides trainings and technical assistance to child care providers and families on practices to enhance child care programs’ capacity to serve children with disabilities in early childhood placements including before/after school and summer camp programs
New Jersey Inclusive Higher Education Collaborative
More and more high school students with disabilities are planning to continue their education in postsecondary schools, including vocational and career schools, two- and four-year colleges, and universities. We have partnered with three New Jersey colleges that offer programs for students with I/DD
New Jersey Integrated Care for Kids (NJ InCK)
Improving access to health and social services for children/youth with special healthcare needs from birth through age 21 residing in Ocean and Monmouth counties.
New Jersey Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NJLEND)
Preparing graduate-level health and allied health fellows with high-quality, interdisciplinary, family-centered, culturally competent care addressing the complex needs of children with autism, related disabilities, and other maternal and child health populations
New Jersey McKinney-Vento Project
The primary goal of the New Jersey McKinney-Vento Project is to ensure that all children and youth experiencing homelessness have equal access to a free, appropriate public education, as guaranteed under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
New Jersey Statewide Parent to Parent
A statewide network of parents and caregivers supporting families of children with developmental delays, disabilities, mental health challenges, or other special health needs
Parents as Champions for Healthy Schools
Employing the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) framework to provide family leadership development workshops to engage families in advocacy for healthier school environments
SPAN/Essex Regional Educational Services Commission Migrant Education Program
The Migrant Education Program (MEP) serves the vital purpose of guaranteeing that children of migrant workers have equal access to free, appropriate public education, including public preschool education, as provided to all other children.
Special Education Volunteer Advocates (SEVA)
Training SPAN Resource Parents to serve as volunteer supports for families preparing for and participating in IEP meetings focused on inclusion and effective transition to adult life
START–Engaging Parents of Students with Disabilities
Offering programs and services that support the engagement of families to improve outcomes for students, including developing and supporting Special Education Parent Advisory Groups (SEPAGs) in communities and school districts
Youth in the Know
Providing links to resources and guides for youth to begin conversations with parents and health care providers about medical decisions, healthcare, career opportunities, education, college, transportation, housing, and much more
Beyond NJ
Regional & National Projects
Below are SPAN’s “National” and “Regional” programs that support the almost 100 Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) within the US and US Territories funded by the US Department of Education. These national/regional projects help build the capacity of the PTIs and CPRCs that provide information, training, and support for families; build partnerships for systemic improvement; and improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities throughout the United States.
Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) (National)
A central resource of information and products for the 96 Parent Training & Information (PTI) Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC) serving families of children with disabilities across the US and its Territories
Family Engagement and Leadership in Systems of Care (FELSC)
Funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), the Family Engagement and Leadership in Systems of Care is a national center funded to provide technical assistance to support family-professional partnerships aimed at improving outcomes for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN).
Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities
Provide healthcare transition training and resources to youth and young adults with ID/DD, ages 12-26, their families, and the professionals who serve them.
Navigating Excellence–Parent Center Assistance & Collaboration Team (NE-PACT) (Regional)
Provides TA for state Parent Centers servicing families of children with special needs and working with state agencies on improving services for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities
RAISE Technical Assistance Center (National)
Coordinates with Rehabilitation Services Administration Parent Training and Information Centers (RSA-PTIs) supporting youth with disabilities on transition from high school to higher education, employment, and independent living
REAL Transition Partners (Regional)
Provides information, training, individual assistance, and support to help youth/young adults with disabilities and their families transition to adulthood