Innovate has developed a peer-to-peer or promotora model to strengthen parent leadership and impact. Rocio, a parent leader from East Palo Alto who is now trained as one of Innovate’s AIEP project parent navigators, shared,
“As a mother and proud promotora or Parent Navigator of the Innovate AIEP platform, I’m incredibly grateful to the people who made this tool possible. I’m so happy to share it with other parents so they can better understand and navigate their children’s IEPs. The platform provides a clear summary of a student’s strengths, areas they’re working on, and the people who make up their support team. With this information, we can be better informed, more involved, and more confident in advocating for our students. One of the things I especially value is the peer-to-peer model. Parents can learn from and support one another, share experiences, and feel less alone while navigating the IEP process. There is so much strength in families learning together and helping each other find their voice. When parents have the right information and a supportive community around them, we can be stronger advocates and better partners in our children’s education.“ Rocio Vaca is parent leader with Innovate in East Palo Alto.
Innovate received support from The Stanford Medicine Office of Community Engagement Health Ambassadors Program to hire a small group of parent navigators, like Rocio, who received stipends and training so they could share the AIEP tool with families across the county. Parent navigators, who are trusted community leaders, provide peer-to-peer support for families in navigating systems that can otherwise feel difficult to understand.
The knowledge families receive about the IEP process can support earlier identification of developmental and behavioral needs, reduce caregiver stress, improve educational success, and improve social, emotional, and long-term health outcomes for children and families in San Mateo County.
During this pilot, five Innovate parent navigators aim to reach 100 families to:
- Understand special education rights and the IEP process
- Provide culturally responsive, peer-to-peer support
- Help families prepare for IEP meetings
- Train families to use the AIEP tool effectively
Parent navigators provide this peer-to-peer support through house meetings, community workshops, and 1:1 conversations. We anticipate that participating families will report increased understanding of their children’s services and greater confidence entering IEP meetings that will reduce levels of anxiety.
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