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The Least Restrictive
Environment Coalition
151 West 30th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 212-947-9779
Extension: 15 or 40
Fax: 212-947-9790
E-mail: #
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Mission Statement
Seventeen groups serving New York City school children comprise the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Coalition. The coalition advocates on behalf of individual children with disabilities and their families with the New York City Board of Education, the
New York State Education Department, and the United States Department of Education to enforce the LRE requirements of New York and federal law. The LRE Coalition was formed in 1999.
The mission of the Coalition is to assure that all students with disabilities are educated in the LRE appropriate for each child so that all students can learn to their fullest capacity. We seek to insure that, whenever appropriate, students with disabilities are provided with the supports, services, and physical accommodations they need to progress in the general education curriculum in general education classes in their neighborhood schools.
The Coalition recognizes the central role of parents in determining the education their children receive and works to maximize the information parents receive and the range of choices available to them for their children's education.
A staff of two, Coordinator Maggie Moroff and Program Analyst Jacquelyn Kamin, research and report on LRE issues and implementation, maintain this website, and conduct outreach with parents and community members. Coalition staff will be happy to answer questions about LRE, conduct a workshop or send a speaker to a meeting of parents or community members. Just e-mail us on our Home Page or telephone us at (212) 947-9779, extension 15 or 40.
Members of the LRE Coalition
ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN
151 W. 30th St., 5th Floor
(212) 947-9779
Fax: (212) 947-9790
www.advocatesforchildren.org
For over 25 years Advocates for Children (AFC), which houses the Coalition’s Coordinator has worked in partnership with New York City’s most impoverished and vulnerable families to secure quality and equal public educational services. AFC works on
behalf of children from infancy to age 21 who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure. These include children with disabilities, ethnic minorities, immigrants, homeless children, children in foster care, limited English proficient children, or those living in poverty. AFC provides citywide services providing free individual case advocacy, training for parents and professionals and technical assistance.
ASSOCIATION FOR THE HELP
OF RETARDED CHILDREN
200 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
(212) 780-2534
Fax: (212) 777-3370
www.ahrcnyc.org
The Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC) is the oldest and largest organization of its kind, each day serving more than 7,000 people of all ages who have developmental disabilities. AHRC’s Advocacy Office provides free educational advocacy services to New York City families with a child with a disability, with priority given to low-income families, including representation at CPSE and CSE meetings, and impartial hearings. AHRC also conducts citywide trainings for parents and professionals.
BRONX LEGAL SERVICES
579 Courtlandt Avenue
Bronx, NY 10451
(718) 993-6251 Ext. 3006
Fax: (718) 993-3672
Bronx Legal Services provides a broad range of civil legal services to indigent individuals, groups and organizations. In response to the needs of their client community, an education law unit was established four years ago. Types of education cases handled include special education (including LRE issues), general education cases involving the right to a sound and basic education, and school suspension cases.
CITIZENS’ COMMITTEE FOR
CHILDREN OF NEW YORK, INC.
105 East 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010
(212) 673-1800, Ext. 20
Fax: (212) 979-5063
www.kfny.org
For more than 50 years Citizens’ Committee for Children has provided a voice for children who have no voice, especially poor and vulnerable children and children with special needs. CCC is New York's only locally-based, multi-issue child advocacy
organization, working on health, housing, safety and education issues for children. CCC analyzes and monitors programs and policies to discover what benefits children, produces comprehensive reports on such issues, meets regularly with politicians, policy-makers and opinion-shapers to promote child-friendly policies and programs, and educates the public and the media on issues affecting New York City children. No direct service is provided.
THE COOKE CENTER FOR
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 730
New York, NY 10115
(212) 280-4473, Ext. 13
Fax: (212) 280-4477
www.cookecenter.org
The Cooke Center for Learning and Development’s mission is to provide inclusive opportunities for children with disabilities. Cooke designs comprehensive educational programs that enable children, ages 3 to 17, to learn side by side with their non-disabled peers, in regular education environments. In addition to its school-based services, Cooke promotes the concept of inclusion to a larger community through professional development, training, and advocacy activities that reach parents, educators,
policymakers, and the general public.
THE LEARNING DISABILITIES
ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK CITY
27 W. 20th Street, Room 303
New York, New York 10011
(212) 645-6730
The Learning Disabilities Association’s mission is twofold: to facilitate access to needed services for individuals with learning disabilities and to provide support to those individuals and their families. The Association runs an “LD Helpline” that provides information and referrals, in both English and Spanish, answering all callers from the five boroughs of New York City. It provides written information upon request and runs outreach programs, including Family Support Meetings (in Staten Island, Brooklyn and Manhattan), an Adult Support Group in Manhattan, and outreach to young mothers in Manhattan through WIC centers.
THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY
JUVENILE RIGHTS DIVISION
90 Church Street
New York, NY 10009
(212) 577-3300
Fax: (212) 577-7999
www.legal-aid.org
The Juvenile Rights Division (JRD) of The Legal Aid Society was established concurrently with New York State's Family Court in 1962, and was one of the first organizations in this country to represent children in a juvenile court. Since then, JRD has grown and matured into one of the country's leading legal organizations in the field of child advocacy. JRD provides legal representation for children in the five Family Courts in the City of New York. In 1999 JRD was assigned to represent approximately 44,000 children in child protective (neglect, abuse and termination of parental rights), persons in need of supervision (PINS) and delinquency matters before the courts. Direct service in education cases, including representation in special education and discipline (suspension) cases, can be provided only as part of overall representation, to clients assigned by the courts.
LEGAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, INC.
271 Madison Avenue, Suite 1007
New York, NY 10016
(212) 683-7999
Fax: (212) 683-5544
www.kidslaw.org
Legal Services for Children, Inc. was founded in 1999 to provide legal services to poor children throughout New York State. It represents children in all types of civil legal matters: special education disputes, denial of social security benefits, guardianships, immigration issues, discrimination cases, etc. The organization also conducts outreach to the public to educate them about the rights their children have and where they can go for help in fighting for their rights.
MFY LEGAL SERVICES, INC.
Special Education Law Project
299 Broadway, 4th floor
New York, NY 10007
(212) 417-3757
Fax: (212) 417-3891
MFY’s Legal Services Special Education Law Project is a public education and advocacy program designed to represent the needs of children with learning and emotional disabilities in New York City’s public school system and their parents or guardians.
NEW ALTERNATIVES FOR CHILDREN, INC.
37 W. 26th Street
New York, NY 10010
(212) 696-1550
Fax: (212) 696-1602
New Alternatives for Children is the only agency in metropolitan New York whose exclusive mission is to serve severely disabled and chronically ill children and their families. Programs include Preventive Services, Foster Care and Adoption, Early
Intervention, medical coordination, educational advocacy, parent training, sibling program, support groups, therapeutic counseling, recreation and post adoption support.
NEW YORK LAWYERS
FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST
151 30th Street, 11th floor
New York, NY 10001
(212) 244-4664
Fax: (212) 244-4570
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) is a not-for-profit law firm founded in 1976 as a partnership between the public and private bars to address problems facing disadvantaged and underrepresented people in New York City. NYLPI currently conducts advocacy and test case litigation concerning access to health care, environmental justice, and disability rights. Through its Disability Law Center, NYLPI has been advocating for parents of children with disabilities on educational issues for
more than a decade.
NEW YORK LEGAL ASSISTANCE GROUP
130 E. 59th Street, 14th floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 750-0800
Fax: (212) 750-0820
New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) provides free legal assistance to indigent individuals throughout New York City. Founded in 1990, NYLAG has grown from a single attorney to sixteen attorneys and three paralegals. For the last several years NYLAG has placed a high priority on serving disabled children. In September 1998, NYLAG opened a Special Education Unit, staffed by two attorneys and a paralegal, that provides all legal services regarding education.
NEW YORK STATE COMMISSION ON
QUALITY OF CARE, PROTECTION AND
ADVOCACY
FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED
55 Hanson Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 923-4307
Fax: (718) 923-4306
www.cqc.state.NY.US
Under The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1975 the New York State Commission on the Quality of Care is the designated protection and advocacy system for persons with developmental disabilities in New York State. The
commission provides a full range of advocacy services, including the pursuit of legal, administrative and other appropriate remedies, to anyone with a developmental disability who lives in New York City.
QUEENS LEGAL SERVICES CORP.
42-15 Crescent Street, 9th floor
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 392-5646
Fax: (718) 937-5350
Queens Legal Services Corporation has provided legal assistance to low-income residents of Queens since 1967. The Education Rights Project advocates for low-income parents on a variety of issues, including issues involving special education, suspensions, and Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
200 Park Avenue South, Suite 816
New York, NY 10003
(212) 677-4650
Fax: (212) 254-4070
http://www.resourcesnyc.org
Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc. is a comprehensive, independent information, referral, advocacy, training and support center. It was founded in 1983 for New York City parents and professionals looking for all kinds of programs and services for children with learning, developmental, emotional or physical disabilities. It provides information and referrals in English or Spanish, regarding children and youth from birth to 21 years old with any disability; it conducts training for parents and professionals, and performs direct educational advocacy services at CPSE and CSE meetings and impartial hearings. Resources also publishes directories of services for children and youth with special needs.
SINERGIA – METROPOLITAN PARENTS’ CENTER
15 W. 65th Street, 6th floor
New York, NY 10023
(212) 496-1300
Fax: (212) 496-5608
http://www.sinergiany.org
Sinergia was founded in 1977 to provide service coordination and multiple direct services – residential and community supports to individuals with disabilities and families including individuals with disabilities, focusing on consumers in low-income communities traditionally underserved by government and other service providers. Sinergia’s Metropolitan Parent Center provides direct advocacy and legal representation. It does trainings in English and/or Spanish to build the capacity of parents to advocate for their children, and also provides organizational, development and technical assistance to neighborhood-based parent groups. Sinergia performs policy analysis and validation to involve low income and Spanish-speaking parents in dialogue on reforming and improving special education.
SOUTH BROOKLYN LEGAL SERVICES
105 Court Street, 3rd floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 237-5500
Fax: (718) 855-0733
South Brooklyn Legal Services has provided free legal assistance in civil cases to poor people since 1968; it has been actively involved for many years in representing children with disabilities. SBLS formerly served as counsel in the Jose P. litigation (a class action of long-standing in which issues of the Board’s compliance with IDEA are raised). Presently it provides information and advice, as well as school-or-CSE-level advocacy and representation at CSE reviews or impartial hearings, to indigent Brooklyn residents.
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