Section 1. ALAS community parent resource center’s purpose is to ensure that parents of children with disabilities in the greater Milwaukee area receive impartial training and objective information to help improve outcomes and raise expectations for their children with disabilities. To this end, ALAS offers educational workshop opportunities to families throughout the year. These educational workshop opportunities are designed to assist participants to better understand the nature of their children’s disabilities and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs; communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel responsible for providing special education, early intervention services, transition services, and related services; participate in decision making processes, including state and local assessments and the development of Individual Education Programs (IEPs) & Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs); obtain appropriate information about the range, type and quality of options, programs, services, technologies, practices and interventions that are based on scientific research; access resources available to assist children with disabilities and their families in school and at home; understand IDEA provisions, including related to early intervention; and participate in activities at school that benefit their children; and participate in school reform activities. These workshops are free and available to all. Families are strongly encouraged to attend these valuable training opportunities.

Section 2: In the interest of building community, promoting cultural pride, establishing a strong network of families and creating a sense of belonging, ALAS also offers additional community integrated events throughout the year. These events often have limited space due to limited resources. Whenever we encounter a higher demand for participation than what available resources would permit, the following criteria may be used to select participants:

• Regular attendance and participation in workshops and activities listed in Section 1.
  
• Participation as a volunteer for ALAS.
• New member of ALAS and haven’t had an opportunity to attend events and/or activities listed in section 1.

If it should happen that all interested participants for an event meet one or more of the above criteria, a lottery system may be used to select participants.

At any time that demand for participation exceeds limited capacity for an event related to section 2, a waiting list of participants will be created. Participants on the waiting list will be contacted if any cancelations occur

This policy was approved by the board of directors of ALAS on Saturday, June 8, 2024.