Department of Defense (DoD) Special Needs Parent Tool Kit The Tool Kit has comprehensive information and tools that are geared towards helping military families with special needs children navigate the maze of medical and special education services, community support, and entitlements. The Tool Kit is broken down into six colorful modules that can be easily downloaded and printed.

DoD Special Needs Parent Tool Kit Facilitator's Guide The Facilitator's Guide is an effective and comprehensive tool for service providers to use to teach each of the major topics contained in the DoD Special Needs Parent Tool Kit.

MilitaryINSTALLATIONS is a resource available on MilitaryHOMEFRONT that provides contact information for programs and services, maps and directions, links to comprehensive location overviews, and community points of interest for military installations worldwide. Family Service Centers located on military installations, both in the continental United States and overseas, provide a wide variety of support services for families with special needs members including enrollment and support for those already enrolled in the EFMP. Contact information for installation services can be found under the program/services titled "Educational and Developmental Intervention Services," "Enrollment/EFMP," "Exceptional Family Member Program/Special Needs," and "Family Support/EFMP."

Service Locators

Eldercare Locator A public service of the United States Administration on Aging, the Eldercare Locator connects older Americans and their caregivers with sources of information on senior services. The service links those who need assistance with state and local area agencies as well as community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers.

Head Start Locator Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age five, pregnant women, and their families. These child-focused programs have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families. This online locator will provide contact information for the closest Head Start program in the community.

Respite Care Locator The National Respite Locator Service helps parents, caregivers and professionals find respite services in their state and local area. The service is also useful when a family travels or must move to another state.

Social Security Office Locator Provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA), this locator provides contact information, office hours, maps, and driving directions for local Social Security offices as well as links to other local agencies that can assist individuals with welfare, housing, meal assistance, and other support services.

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Locator The national UCP organization and its nationwide network of affiliates strive to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every facet of society—from the web to the workplace, from the classroom to the community. As one of the largest health charities in America, UCP's mission is to advance the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network. The UCP locator provides contact information for affiliates within a given state or country.

Eligibility Checklists

Benefits Checkup Benefits Checkup helps individuals find programs for people ages fifty-five and over that may pay for some of their costs of prescription drugs, health care, utilities and other essential items or services.

The Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) Provided by the Social Security Administration, BEST is a tool to determine whether an individual could be eligible for benefits from any of the programs Social Security administers. This tool provides eligibility information based on answers given to the questions on the site.

Department of Defense (DoD) Special Needs Parent Tool Kit The Tool Kit has comprehensive information and tools that are geared towards helping military families with special needs children navigate the maze of medical and special education services, community support, and entitlements. The Tool Kit is broken down into six colorful modules that can be easily downloaded and printed.

DoD Special Needs Parent Tool Kit Facilitator's Guide The Facilitator's Guide is an effective and comprehensive tool for service providers to use to teach each of the major topics contained in the DoD Special Needs Parent Tool Kit.

MilitaryINSTALLATIONS is a resource available on MilitaryHOMEFRONT that provides contact information for programs and services, maps and directions, links to comprehensive location overviews, and community points of interest for military installations worldwide. Family Service Centers located on military installations, both in the continental United States and overseas, provide a wide variety of support services for families with special needs members including enrollment and support for those already enrolled in the EFMP. Contact information for installation services can be found under the program/services titled "Educational and Developmental Intervention Services," "Enrollment/EFMP," "Exceptional Family Member Program/Special Needs," and "Family Support/EFMP."

Service Locators

Eldercare Locator A public service of the United States Administration on Aging, the Eldercare Locator connects older Americans and their caregivers with sources of information on senior services. The service links those who need assistance with state and local area agencies as well as community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers.

Head Start Locator Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age five, pregnant women, and their families. These child-focused programs have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families. This online locator will provide contact information for the closest Head Start program in the community.

Respite Care Locator The National Respite Locator Service helps parents, caregivers and professionals find respite services in their state and local area. The service is also useful when a family travels or must move to another state.

Social Security Office Locator Provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA), this locator provides contact information, office hours, maps, and driving directions for local Social Security offices as well as links to other local agencies that can assist individuals with welfare, housing, meal assistance, and other support services.

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Locator The national UCP organization and its nationwide network of affiliates strive to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every facet of society—from the web to the workplace, from the classroom to the community. As one of the largest health charities in America, UCP's mission is to advance the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network. The UCP locator provides contact information for affiliates within a given state or country.

Eligibility Checklists

Benefits Checkup Benefits Checkup helps individuals find programs for people ages fifty-five and over that may pay for some of their costs of prescription drugs, health care, utilities and other essential items or services.

The Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) Provided by the Social Security Administration, BEST is a tool to determine whether an individual could be eligible for benefits from any of the programs Social Security administers. This tool provides eligibility information based on answers given to the questions on the site.

OCONUS Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS) Directory The Military Medical Departments through their EDIS provide Early Intervention Services (EIS) and related services in outside the continental United States (OCONUS) locations where the DoDDS is responsible for educational services. The OCONUS directory is intended to assist the medical and educational assignment coordinators to identify those military communities in OCONUS locations with pre-established programs or services for children with special needs. The DoDDS Educational and EDIS OCONUS directory does not identify pre-established programs or services for special medical needs. 

Guidance and Career Counselors Took Kit Provided by The George Washington University National Clearinghouse on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Disabilities, this education tool kit is intended to help guidance and career counselors better assist high school students with disabilities in accomplishing transitions into postsecondary education and employment. 

Department of Education Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities: Parents' Materials This tool kit brings together the most current and accurate information, including research briefs and resources designed to improve instruction, assessment, and accountability for students with disabilities in a format that is easy to access and to understand.

OCONUS Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS) Directory The Military Medical Departments through their EDIS provide Early Intervention Services (EIS) and related services in outside the continental United States (OCONUS) locations where the DoDDS is responsible for educational services. The OCONUS directory is intended to assist the medical and educational assignment coordinators to identify those military communities in OCONUS locations with pre-established programs or services for children with special needs. The DoDDS Educational and EDIS OCONUS directory does not identify pre-established programs or services for special medical needs. 

Guidance and Career Counselors Took Kit Provided by The George Washington University National Clearinghouse on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Disabilities, this education tool kit is intended to help guidance and career counselors better assist high school students with disabilities in accomplishing transitions into postsecondary education and employment. 

Department of Education Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities: Parents' Materials This tool kit brings together the most current and accurate information, including research briefs and resources designed to improve instruction, assessment, and accountability for students with disabilities in a format that is easy to access and to understand.

Benefits.gov Benefits.gov provides citizens with easy online access to government benefit and assistance programs. The site's core function is the eligibility prescreening questionnaire or "Benefit Finder." Answers to the questionnaire are used to evaluate a visitor's situation and compare it with the eligibility criteria for more than one thousand federally-funded benefit and assistance programs. Each program description provides citizens with the next steps to apply for any benefit program of interest.

Benefits.gov Benefits.gov provides citizens with easy online access to government benefit and assistance programs. The site's core function is the eligibility prescreening questionnaire or "Benefit Finder." Answers to the questionnaire are used to evaluate a visitor's situation and compare it with the eligibility criteria for more than one thousand federally-funded benefit and assistance programs. Each program description provides citizens with the next steps to apply for any benefit program of interest.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments This ADA Tool Kit is designed to teach state and local government officials how to identify and fix problems that prevent people with disabilities from gaining equal access to state and local government programs, services and activities.

Special Care Organizational Record (SCOR) for Children with Special Health Care Needs is designed as an organizing tool for parents of children with special health care needs. It is intended to help track and organize a child's information to make it easier for someone else to care for the child in the parents' absence.

Special Care Organization Record for Adults with Special Health Care Needs is specifically designed as an organizing tool for families with an adult member with special health care needs. This includes spouses and adult children with special health care needs as well as any other adult dependent family member.

Special Care Organization Record for Eldercare is designed to facilitate the care of the older family members. It is intended to provide a central location for keeping and tracking older family members' records and other pertinent information.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments This ADA Tool Kit is designed to teach state and local government officials how to identify and fix problems that prevent people with disabilities from gaining equal access to state and local government programs, services and activities.

Special Care Organizational Record (SCOR) for Children with Special Health Care Needs is designed as an organizing tool for parents of children with special health care needs. It is intended to help track and organize a child's information to make it easier for someone else to care for the child in the parents' absence.

Special Care Organization Record for Adults with Special Health Care Needs is specifically designed as an organizing tool for families with an adult member with special health care needs. This includes spouses and adult children with special health care needs as well as any other adult dependent family member.

Special Care Organization Record for Eldercare is designed to facilitate the care of the older family members. It is intended to provide a central location for keeping and tracking older family members' records and other pertinent information.