Who Can Serve As a Surrogate Parent?

Who can serve as a surrogate parent? Our challenge for is to create a group of trained volunteers ready to take on the role of parent when the need arises. Persons from the community interested in becoming surrogates should be encouraged to volunteer and participate in the surrogate parent training. The LEA maintains a list of trained persons who are available for appointment as surrogate parents when one is required. Currently we have four trained volunteers.

A surrogate parent is a person appointed by a school district to act in place of a student’s parent when: a)The parent cannot be identified. b)The parent cannot be located after a reasonable effort. c)The student is a ward of the State. NOTE: The LEA cannot appoint a surrogate parent in situations where an otherwise available parent refuses to participate in the educational planning process. In addition, IDEA further states: a)The surrogate may not be an employee of the State or school district involved in the education of the student. b)The surrogate may have no interests that conflict with the interests of the student. c)The surrogate must have adequate knowledge and skills that ensure adequate representation of the student.

PERSONS WHO MAY SERVE AS SURROGATES (not an inclusive list): a)FOSTER PARENTS – When the student is a ward of the State and lives with a foster parent, for more than three months, the foster parent can become a surrogate upon completing surrogate parent training. b)COMMUNITY PERSONS – MCS procedures encourage persons in the community who are willing to make educational decisions on the student’s behalf to become a surrogate parent by completing surrogate parent training. An employee paid by an agency or institution responsible for the education or care of the student may NOT act as surrogate parent (i.e., DSS/ social worker, therapeutic foster parents, group home director and staff). c)GUARDIAN AD LITEM – The guardian ad litem is appointed by the court to advocate for the student and may be asked by the LEA to be trained to fulfill this position.

The scope of the surrogate’s authority includes all of the educational rights granted to parents under the IDEA. The surrogate parents in McDowell County spend countless hours in Exceptional Children meetings. They are often called on with a minutes notice and they are not allowed to receive any compensation for their volunteer hours. Remind your teachers to be considerate of their time and efforts. Please take the time to let our surrogates know they are appreciated. We cannot do without them!