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The ARC

Advocacy

The Arc of Chester County offers multiple types of
advocacy for individuals and families who reside
in Chester County.

Education Advocacy

A trained education advocate will provide services to help parents, guardians, and students develop a plan of action for obtaining a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to ensure that students make meaningful progress on their educational goals. All children and students from ages 5 through 21 who are eligible can access The Arc of Chester County’s education advocacy services.

Click here to download the Advocacy FEE Service Agreement.

Click here to download the Advocacy FREE Service Agreement.

AN EDUCATION ADVOCATE:

Informs parents/guardians about their child’s rights regarding the special education process, how to partner with the school team to effectively resolve issues, and how to be their child’s best advocate.

Listens to the parents/guardians, gathering valuable information related to the current situation. The need for further information is also assessed.

Reviews the current Evaluation Report (ER), Individualized Education Program (IEP), and other pertinent documents.

Accompanies parents to school and IEP meetings to obtain support for their child.

Helps parents understand and navigate the education processes and system.

Informs parents/guardians about their child’s rights regarding the special education process, how to partner with the school team to effectively resolve issues, and how to be their child’s best advocate.

Listens to the parents/guardians, gathering valuable information related to the current situation. The need for further information is also assessed.

Reviews the current Evaluation Report (ER), Individualized Education Program (IEP), and other pertinent documents.

Accompanies parents to school and IEP meetings to obtain support for their child.

Helps parents understand and navigate the education processes and system.

Contact

Please contact The Arc’s intake advocate who will be able to answer your general questions, assist with referrals, help you to find out if you qualify for services at no charge or for a fee, and connect you with one of our advocates. We can also arrange for a translator for families whose primary language is not English.

Systems Advocacy

The Arc of Chester County offers systems advocacy to help families and self-advocates understand and navigate the mental health/intellectual and developmental disability (including autism) service systems. Our advocates safeguard individual rights, empower individuals, and promote self-determination and inclusion.

  • Resource Connection.
  • Helps parents plan for their adult child’s future and effectively participate in planning meetings.
  • Accompanies self-advocates and families to meetings as needed.
  • Provides ongoing support for self-advocates who have limited family involvement.
  • Initiates, promotes, and supports individual and county-wide self-determination and self-advocacy efforts.
  • Supports self-advocates to attend local meetings in order to stay informed about systems changes and upcoming events.
  • Monitors progress made in the areas of inclusion, self-determination, employment, home and community supports, and recreation.
  • Actively promotes system change and improvement through county, state, and national advocacy.
  • Provides one-to-one support and mentoring services.

Please contact The Arc’s intake advocate who will be able to answer your general questions, assist with referrals, and connect you with one of our advocates. We can also arrange for a translator for families whose primary language is not English.

Chat and Chew
Training Series

The Arc of Chester County offers free virtual trainings covering a variety of topics which empower people to learn about education and systems advocacy. These trainings feature a variety of expert speakers on disability topics. These free trainings take place in our West Chester office as well as other locations throughout Chester County.

LEARN MORE

ArcConnections

ArcConnections is a free site available on our Arc website for anyone looking for resources, trainings and current information about services available in Chester County and the surrounding area.

VIEW LIST OF ALL ARCCONNECTIONS

Legislative Involvement

The Arc of Chester County’s Advocates work on issues relevant to people with disabilities in Chester County with the ultimate goal of achieving an Everyday Life for individuals with disabilities and their families. They do this through:

 

Governmental Affairs Meetings

Self-advocates, staff, parents, and community members meet to talk about issues that are important to them related to the disability community. The attendees collaborate and discuss best practices for contacting local legislators and educating the public on topics that are relevant to individuals with disabilities.

 

Our Annual Legislative Breakfast

The Arc of Chester County continues to prioritize legislative issues and has remained actively involved throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including outreach to legislators, attending virtual hearings, and hosting virtual events. Our goal is to be a liaison between local legislators and the public, sharing important information on issues that affect our community with disabilities.

 

Attendance at the Disabilities Rally in Harrisburg

Each year, The Arc of Chester County has a group of staff and self-advocates attend the Rally in the Rotunda in the Capital Building in Harrisburg. Here, The Arc of Chester County partners with The Arc of Pennsylvania and chapters from across the state to discuss and advocate for issues that are important to our members.