Our Mission
The mission of the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center is to educate, support, and empower Connecticut's families of children and youth with any disability or chronic conditions, ages birth to 26, and the professionals who serve them.
CPAC is committed to supporting each and every Connecticut family and youth with disabilities in understanding and learning to advocate for rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We advocate at the federal, state, and local levels to help remove barriers that families and youth face when advocating for appropriate support and services.
CPAC is a nonprofit organization that provides information, training, individual assistance, and resources. CPAC is not a legal firm or a legal service agency, and as such, the information contained on this website is provided for the purpose of informing the reviewer, but should not be considered as a means of taking the place of legal advice that must be obtained through an attorney. CPAC may be able to assist you in identifying an attorney in your area, but cannot provide direct referrals.
Our Vision
All families will have the confidence, knowledge and understanding they need to effectively advocate for their children and to partner with professionals to ensure the children and youth grow and learn to their full potential.
CPAC receives many questions about who we are and what we do and don't do. Here are some frequently asked questions about our organization:
» CPAC FAQ 2025
» CPAC FAQ Spanish 2025
WHAT'S NEW
Legislative Update Public Act (PA) 25-67 – Mandate prior to placing a student in an out of district placement due to challenging behaviors
Effective July 1, 2025, PA 25-67 § 13 mandates that on and after September 1, 2025, prior to placing any student in an out of district placement due to challenging behaviors, each local and regional board of education must conduct a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and develop or update a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
» September 18, 2025 - Legislative Update
How We Help
Every day, CPAC's Parent Consultants provide individual training, support and empowerment for parents and professionals who reach out to us with questions about the education of their children and students. We provide training programs at no cost to families and educators across the state. We make available a wide range of accessible online training and information on our website and through social media. We work with a wide range of partners to reach out to families, youth and educators to find and address the issues in the education and transition of students and young people from birth through age 26. CPAC is staffed by parents of children with disabilities who have training in and personal experience with the law and disability issues.
Online Learning
Opportunities
Webinars, Videos and
Modules.
Hot
Topics
Technology, school climate & bullying, inclusion, literacy, and more.
Newsletters &
Publications
Newsletters from CPAC and a Guide to Educational Terms (in English and Spanish).
Special
Education 101
Communication, eligibility, evaluation, legal rights, and more.
Key
Resources
Parent Support, Connecting Connecticut, Disability Specific and more
NEW Individualized
Education Program (IEP)
The IEP is the foundation for a student's education.
State & Federal
Resources
State and Federal Laws Supporting Students with Disabilities
Families & Schools
Working Together
Practices and Tools for Schools and Families
upcoming events
Finding Your Voice as a Parent Webinar
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST
This is a no cost event
Finding Your Voice as a Parent Webinar: Supporting Parents of Special Needs Children – Navigating the Journey
Date: Wednesday December 10th 2025 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. EST. This webinar is on Zoom (online/virtual event).
Co-hosted online with the Stamford JCC (Stamford, CT).
Register here on Zoom: https://bit.ly/5976E2
Note: This is the webinar that was previously rescheduled from October 22nd. The new date is December 10th.
Speakers:
Attorney Lawrence Berliner, Connecticut Special Education Law Attorney
Jane Faherty, Stamford JCC JumpStart Program Executive Director & Special Education Advocate
Dr. Terry D’Elisa, Psychologist, PsyD., New Canaan CT
Dr. Terry D’Elisa completes neuropsychological evaluations and provides therapeutic support to children, teens, and adults and coaching for parents to assist them in managing challenging behaviors and improving parent/child and coparenting relationships. She specializes in helping children and adults with a variety of diagnoses including ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia and Executive Function.
Dr. D’Elisa hosts a 7-week program titled, “Calm and Collected” for parenting a child with Executive Function and ADHD.
In our conversation with Dr. D’Elisa, we will explore:
• Helping parents tell their story: the story we tell makes a difference
• Pressures parents face with their children and how to cope
• Helping parents process the struggles and stress
• Anxiety parents face in meeting the challenges of school and home
• Managing personal and interpersonal challenges
• Q & A
This webinar is free and open to the public.
Questions? Please contact Rachel Berliner, Public Relations Assistant at [email protected]
More information: https://www.stamfordjcc.org/events/2025/12/10/inclusion/finding-your-voice-as-a-parent-webinar/
> Register for event
> View event flyer