Surrogate Parents and Special Education in Pennsylvania: An Overview

IDEA authorizes parents to make decisions related to the provision of special education services. Whenever the parents of an eligible or thought to be eligible student are not known, cannot be located after reasonable efforts, or when the child is a ward of the state, a surrogate parent must be appointed. The federal requirements related to the appointment of a surrogate parent for IDEA eligible or thought to be eligible students are specified in CFR 3330.519.