FEC Spotlights
FEC Spotlights
FEC Spotlights
Description: Special Kids Connect supports families by connecting them with community resources and empowering them to become effective self-advocates for their children’s needs. Special Kids Connect operates Monday through Saturday, out of its administrative office and satellite locations in Monterey, Salinas, South County, and North County where it offers 1:1 trilingual support (English, Spanish, and Triqui) and guidance on issues relating to special education and social service acquisition. Special Kids Connect hosts virtual parent education workshops monolingually in English and Spanish, quarterly in-person resource fairs, and annual in-person special education conferences. It also operates STAR (Special Toys & Resources) adaptive-toy lending library, and offers a portfolio of REACH recreational programs throughout the county that promote youth social skills development through inclusive interaction with neurotypical peers in community settings.
Additional Affiliations: Early Start Family Resource Center (Birth to 36 months) (DDS funded) - Monterey County Community Navigator Program (Birth to End of Life) (DDS funded) - Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara Counties
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram
Family Empowerment Centers (FECs) provide training and information to families of children and young adults with disabilities, between the ages of 3 and 22 in California. These nonprofit organizations offer specialized training, peer-to-peer support, information and referral services. They assist parents to better understand their child’s educational and developmental needs, effectively communicate with service providers, serve as a resource for the IEP process, participate in school reform and improvement activities, promote alternative dispute resolution, and support positive relationships between parents and professionals. Services available through each FEC vary based on the needs of the community.