Parents and caregivers of children and youth with disabilities must work collaboratively with the education system so that together they can ensure that the needs of their children are met.
Through the TVCC Parent Mentor program, parents and caregivers have access to individuals who have “been down this road before”. Our Parent Mentors are parents of TVCC clients who share their experiences navigating the school system with a child with a disability, as well as help families explore options and learn to build strong relationships within the educational system. Through their partnership with local school boards, they ensure that families are given the most accurate and updated information about school.
Parent Mentors work with families to help them:
- Transition into school, between grades, into high school and out of the education system into their chosen future
- Enhance understanding of the education system, such as the streams of special education, IEP’s, IPRC’s, supports and services
- Help families develop and maintain effective relationships with their child/youth’s school
- Develop positive advocacy skills
- Use solution focused strategies to assist in problem solving with the school
- By answering, explaining, listening, and supporting with almost any aspect of school!
Access to Services
Parent Mentors are available to all TVCC client families living in London/Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Huron, Perth, Grey, and Bruce counties. You can get involved with Parent Mentors as soon as you start thinking about school for your child or at any point along their primary and secondary educational journey.
Parent Mentors provide a variety of Education workshops throughout the year to help with starting kindergarten (Time for School, Parents Partnering with Educators: Transition to Kindergarten, and Getting Ready for School), starting high school (Parents Partnering with Educators: Transition to High School, and Getting Ready for High School), navigating through school (Positive Parent Advocacy, Understanding Your Child's IEP, It Takes a Village series), and what comes after high school (Passages). These are available for all TVCC families - no referral needed!
A call with a Parent Mentor is also available whenever you have a question about school. When you are not sure what to do next, who to speak to at the school, what you can ask of the teacher, how to get an issue addressed - book a call with a Parent Mentor and we will get you on the right path. Let's Talk School! Sign up at a time that works for you:
You can ask any of your TVCC clinicians for a referral to Parent Mentor Services, complete Intake and Referral or contact the Parent Mentors directly by emailing parent.mentor [at] tvcc.on.ca (parent[dot]mentor[at]tvcc[dot]on[dot]ca).
What to Expect
Parent Mentor Services can be provided by phone, email, Teams or in person. Please email or phone to arrange a time to connect. You can expect an individualized approach specific to your situation.
Once you arrange a time, a Parent Mentor will contact you to assist you with the school related issues you want to discuss. Some examples of issues and questions include:
- What to expect from a school planning meeting; who does what; how to prepare; what questions to ask
- How to approach school personnel with various issues as they arise
- How to effectively and collaboratively problem solve with your school team
- How to understand the various reports that come home from school
- What to consider when starting at a new school or classroom
- How to sort and use resources and documents in a meaningful way
For More Information
Contact the Parent Mentors directly by emailing parent.mentor [at] tvcc.on.ca (parent[dot]mentor[at]tvcc[dot]on[dot]ca)
