Oregon Department of Education
Chapter 581
Division 15
SPECIAL EDUCATION
581-015-2755
Additional Parental Participation Requirements for IFSP and Placement Meetings — EI/ECSE Program
(1) For a child under age three:
(a) Contractors or subcontractors must schedule IFSP meetings in settings and at times that are convenient to families;
(b) If neither parent can attend, the contractor or subcontractor must use other methods to ensure parent participation, including, but not limited to, individual or conference phone calls or home visits; and
(c) The contents of the IFSP must be fully explained to the parents and informed written consent obtained from the parents before the provision of EI services described in the plan.
(2) For a child age three and older:
(a) Contractors or subcontractors must take steps to ensure that one or both of the parents of a child with a disability are present at each IFSP or placement meeting or are afforded the opportunity to participate, including:
(A) Notifying parents of the meeting early enough to ensure that they will have an opportunity to attend; and
(B) Scheduling the meeting at a mutually agreed on time and place.
(C) If neither parent can attend, the contractor or subcontractor must use other methods to ensure parent participation, including, but not limited to, individual or conference phone calls or home visits;
(b) An IFSP or placement meeting may be conducted without a parent in attendance if the contractor or subcontractor is unable to convince the parents that they should attend. If the contractor or subcontractor proceeds with an IFSP or placement meeting without a parent in attendance, the contractor or subcontractor must have a record of its attempts to arrange a mutually agreed on time and place, such as:
(A) Detailed records of telephone calls made or attempted and the results of those calls;
(B) Copies of correspondence sent to the parents and any responses received; and
(C) Detailed records of visits made to the parent's home or place of employment and the results of those visits.
(c) The Department considers contractor or subcontractor attempts to convince parents to attend sufficient if the contractor or subcontractor:
(A) Communicates directly with the parent and arranges a mutually agreeable time and place, and sends written notice required under OAR 581-015-2750 to confirm this arrangement; or
(B) Sends written notice required under OAR 581-015-2750, proposing a time and place for the meeting and stating in the notice that the parent may request a different time and place, and confirms that the parent received the notice.
(C) "Sufficient attempts" may all occur before the scheduled IEP or placement meeting, and do not require the scheduling of multiple agreed-upon meetings unless the team believes this would be in the best interest of the child.
(3) The contractor or subcontractor must give the parent a copy of the IFSP at no cost to the parent. If the parent does not attend the IFSP meeting, the contractor subcontractor must ensure that a copy is provided to the parent.
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 343.475, 343.521 & 343.531
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 343.475, 343.495, 343.521, 343.531, 34 CFR 300.322 & 34 CFR 300.501
History:
Renumbered from 581-015-0966, ODE 10-2007, f. & cert. ef. 4-25-07
ODE 2-2003, f. & cert. ef. 3-10-03
ODE 24-2000, f. & cert. ef. 10-16-00