Overview
Welcome to the Surrogate Parent Program webpage.
The Surrogate Parent Program is a federally mandated program (34 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] § 300.519) that provides educational advocacy services for children and youth under the jurisdiction of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) (foster children) or an unaccompanied minor or homeless youth (34 CFR § 300.519[f]), who need or may need special education.
State statute (Connecticut General Statues [CGS] § 10-94g) currently calls for a surrogate to be appointed when:
- a child may require special education, or a child who required special education no longer requires such education but requires or may require services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended from time to time;
- the parent or guardian of such child cannot be identified;
- the whereabouts of the parent cannot be discovered after reasonable efforts to locate the parent have been made;
- such child is a ward of the state; or
- such child is an unaccompanied and homeless youth.