IEP Support and Educational Advocacy Services
Empowering Families Through Educational Advocacy
At Families United, we recognize the challenges families face when navigating the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process for children with developmental disabilities.
Our dedicated team provides end-to-end IEP support, rooted in best practices for education advocacy, from preparation to follow-through, so your child receives the services, accommodations, and placement they deserve.
With compassionate education advocates by your side, you’ll understand your options, feel confident in meetings, and leave with a clear plan tailored to your child’s needs.
Together, we can build a brighter future for all.
IEP Consultation
Our experienced education advocates help families prepare for IEP meetings by ensuring you understand your rights and the services your child is entitled to. We provide guidance on setting appropriate goals and aligning the IEP with your child’s unique needs.
For your family, this can look like a thorough review of assessments, draft IEPs, and goal language to ensure clarity and measurability. We also offer coaching on how to present your child’s strengths, needs, and supports through the lens of special education advocacy.
To help you feel confident during the process, we create a step-by-step meeting plan that includes an agenda, an “ask list,” and a documentation checklist.
You’ll also get plain-language answers to common questions, such as what an education advocate is and how that role fits into your school’s process.
If you’ve ever searched “IEP advocate near me,” you’re exactly who we serve. Whether this is your first IEP or your tenth, our team is here to make the process easier to navigate.
IEP Meeting Representation
We offer representation at IEP meetings, always advocating for your child’s best interests. Our knowledgeable team is well-versed in educational law and makes sure all necessary services, accommodations, and modifications are included in the IEP.
In the room, we lead with a collaborative tone, highlight student strengths, and keep the meeting centered on data and outcomes. We translate jargon into clear language and push for specificity so that supports are enforceable, covering who provides them, what they include, when they occur, and how often.
Our approach is solutions-first, bridging your family’s goals with the school’s capacity to create a mutually agreed-upon plan. If items are deferred, we set timelines, outline next steps, and ensure follow-up documentation to safeguard your child’s access to services.
From start to signature, our advocacy keeps your child’s educational needs at the center.
Educational Assessments
We assist families in obtaining educational assessments to identify their child’s strengths and areas for improvement. Our advocates help interpret these results and incorporate them into the IEP, ensuring that each recommendation supports your child’s academic success.
This includes identifying which assessments may be missing—such as speech-language, occupational therapy, or psychoeducational evaluations—and guiding you on how to request them.
We also show you how to connect test results to present levels, goals, accommodations, and related services so the IEP reflects your child’s full needs.
In some cases, we help determine whether extended school year (ESY) services, assistive technology, or behavior supports should be considered. Accurate data is the backbone of our advocacy, and we make sure the numbers tell your child’s story and lead to the right supports.
Collaboration with Schools
Families United has established strong partnerships with local educational institutions, including the Oakland Unified School District and St. Vincent Day Home.
These collaborations foster open communication between families and schools, ensuring that everyone stays aligned on shared goals. Our philosophy is rooted in assuming positive intent, keeping the focus on student progress, and using data to guide decisions.
We prioritize documenting agreements clearly—outlining service minutes, providers, and timelines—to create shared accountability. Most importantly, we ensure that parents remain meaningfully involved, recognizing that parent participation is not only the cornerstone of effective advocacy but also a protected right under IDEA.
Resources and Workshops
We provide families with access to resources, workshops, and information sessions focused on special education rights, effective advocacy strategies, and understanding the IEP process.
Our goal is to equip families with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate confidently for their children. Families can expect live and on-demand trainings that break down IEP components, timelines, and how to interpret service pages.
We also provide practical scripts, email templates, and meeting checklists that can be used right away. For parents curious about stepping into advocacy themselves, we offer guidance on the skills and training paths needed to become a special education advocate, empowering you to support both your child and your community.
To ensure you’re never left in the dark, we deliver plain-language overviews of your rights, procedural safeguards, and dispute-resolution options. Whether you’ve searched for IEP support, IEP advocacy, or “IEP advocate near me,” our trainings and one-on-one coaching meet you where you are—no legal background required.
Why Choose Families United?
Our team is committed to helping families navigate the educational landscape with confidence, because we believe every child deserves access to quality education tailored to their unique needs. Through our IEP Support and Educational Advocacy services, we empower parents and guardians to be active participants in their child’s journey.
Families choose us because of our people-first approach, where we tailor plans to each child’s strengths and family goals rather than relying on one-size-fits-all templates. Our advocacy is evidence-based, aligning goals and services with data from evaluations, progress reports, and classroom performance.
We also emphasize clear communication by translating complex policies into actionable steps you can put into practice immediately. Most importantly, our focus is on sustainable outcomes—we don’t just “win the meeting,” we help you monitor implementation and troubleshoot as your child’s needs evolve.
Partnering for Success
Our partnership with Oakland Unified School District streamlines communication and collaboration, ensuring families receive timely and effective support. We also work closely with St. Vincent Day Home, adding an extra layer of resources and expertise to strengthen the services we provide.
Our commitment doesn’t end when the meeting does—we continue to support families through regular check-ins to verify that services are delivered as written and that progress is documented.
We help draft parent input statements, accommodation plans, and goal updates ahead of annual reviews, and we provide coaching for conferences and problem-solving meetings so that the entire team stays aligned on next steps.
Get Involved!
At Families United, we believe that together, we can create positive change in the educational experience for children with developmental disabilities. If you are a parent, guardian, or educator seeking support, we invite you to contact us today.
You can start by booking a complimentary 15-minute discovery call to connect with a dedicated advocate, or by downloading our IEP prep checklist and workshop calendar to begin preparing with confidence.
We also offer quick guides on goals, services, and parent rights—resources designed to engage you and help you better understand the advocacy process. Whether you need special education advocacy right now or are simply exploring what an advocate does, our team is ready to support you every step of the way.