Organized by the system you're navigating. Know your rights. Find your people. Walk into every room prepared.
"Advocacy without understanding the system is just noise. Walk in knowing what you're asking for — and why the system is set up to say no."Ashle Rodriguez-Perdomos · Founder, The Jackie Project
Every right your child has under IDEA — evaluations, IEPs, placement decisions, and how to dispute them.
What Colorado law requires before a school suspends or expels your child — including your right to a hearing and how to appeal.
How to request a 504 plan, what accommodations look like, and how 504 differs from an IEP — with sample request language.
How Safe2Tell works and how to use it if your child has experienced something at school that hasn't been addressed.
Free legal help for families navigating special education, discipline, and school-based discrimination. They will come to IEP meetings.
Policy, litigation, and family tools focused on dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. Resources on discipline, race, and school culture.
Colorado's federally-funded Parent Training and Information Center — free support for families navigating special education.
Research and advocacy on school discipline, pushout, and the pipeline — with specific resources for families whose children have been suspended.
Before you leave the room, make sure you know: what's the diagnosis, what are the next steps, what do I do if it gets worse — and get it in writing.
It is always your right. Here's how to ask without burning the relationship — and when you should get one no matter what the doctor says.
If a provider minimizes your concern, talks over you, or rushes you out — here's how to slow the appointment down and get the answers your child deserves.
A ready-to-use guide with the exact questions to ask before, during, and after any appointment — including how to document when you're not being heard.
Your right to informed consent, a second opinion, an interpreter, your own records — and what to do when a provider violates those rights.
How to file a complaint with the Colorado Division of Civil Rights if a healthcare provider discriminated against you or your child.
What's the difference — and which one does your child need? A plain-language breakdown of all three, who qualifies, and how to request each one.
What parents and youth need to know about mental health treatment, consent, school-based services, and crisis intervention rights in Colorado.
24/7 mental health, substance use, and emotional crisis support — call, walk in, or connect online. Walk-in centers across the state, no insurance required.
Free education programs, peer support groups, and one-on-one help for families navigating a loved one's mental health diagnosis.
Plain-language guides on anxiety, ADHD, depression, trauma, and behavior challenges in kids and teens — including how to talk to your child about it.
Call or text 988 — 24/7 mental health crisis support in English and Spanish. Also available via chat. For your child, for yourself, for anyone.
Advocacy, research, and tools specifically for Black mothers — including what you're entitled to during pregnancy and delivery and how to file complaints.
Navigating Colorado's healthcare system — including Medicaid, CHP+, and how to find culturally responsive providers near you.
Free legal help when disability intersects with healthcare — including insurance denials, school-based medical accommodations, and provider discrimination.
Training, advocacy, and community tools focused on eliminating racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.
What happens when a child is arrested — your rights at intake, during hearings, about records, and how to request a public defender.
Step-by-step overview of Colorado's juvenile court system — from first contact to disposition — written for families, not attorneys.
How to seal or expunge a juvenile or adult record in Colorado — eligibility requirements, the process, and who can help you file.
Plain-language fact sheets on racial disparities in sentencing, mandatory minimums, and what research shows actually reduces reoffending.
Training and support for public defenders — and family-facing resources on what good representation looks like for young people in Colorado courts.
Free civil legal help for low-income Coloradans — including family law, housing, and benefits cases that often intersect with court involvement.
National advocacy and research on sentencing reform, racial disparities, and conditions of confinement — with tools for advocates and families.
Data, research, and policy tools on mass incarceration — including family impact, re-entry barriers, and the true cost of the carceral system.
What you're entitled to when DHS opens a case — your right to a case plan, family time, legal representation, and how to participate in decisions.
Colorado's foster parent bill of rights — what you're entitled to know about the children in your care, and what the agency must provide.
A guide written directly for young people in care — what you're entitled to, who your advocates are, and how to speak up when something isn't right.
For families parenting children of a different race — understanding cultural identity, what children need, and how to prepare your home.
Policy advocacy and family support focused on improving outcomes for Colorado children in the child welfare system.
Trauma-informed resources for families and caregivers — understanding what children in care have experienced and how to support healing at home.
Youth-led advocacy for people in and from foster care — with family resources, peer support, and tools for aging out with a plan.
Research and tools focused on keeping families together, reducing disparities in child welfare, and supporting families navigating the system.
Save the ones that apply to your family before you need them. These are real people and real lines.
24/7 mental health crisis support. Available in English and Spanish.
Colorado's 24/7 mental health, substance use, and crisis support line. Walk-in centers across the state.
Text-based crisis support 24/7. Good for young people who don't want to call.
24/7 confidential support for anyone experiencing domestic violence. Chat at thehotline.org
24/7 support for survivors of sexual violence. Connects to local providers.
Helpline for individuals and families dealing with eating disorders. M–F 9am–7pm ET.
Report child abuse or neglect in Colorado. Available 24/7.
Crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people. Text START to 678-678. Chat 24/7.
Emotional support and resources for parents under stress. M–F 10am–7pm PT.
These templates are starting points — adapt them to your situation, your child, your voice. Every document includes legal language, prep questions, and what to do if things go wrong.
A letter triggering the school's legal obligation to respond within 10 school days — with the exact language that starts the clock.
↓ Download TemplateStep-by-step appeal letter — includes MDR request language for kids with IEPs and what to bring to the hearing.
↓ Download TemplateUnder FERPA you have the right to everything in your child's file. This letter makes the formal request and sets the 45-day legal timeline.
↓ Download TemplateThe questions every parent should ask before, during, and after — including what to do when you disagree with the team.
↓ Download GuideHow to prepare, what to say, and how to get your objections on record — so your voice is part of the case plan, not just a line in it.
↓ Download ScriptWhat to ask before, during, and after any appointment — including exactly what to say when you feel dismissed or unheard.
↓ Download GuideFirst communication template + ongoing questions to keep asking — so you stay an active part of your child's defense.
↓ Download TemplateHow to file a racial or disability discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Education — with a complete sample complaint letter.
↓ Download TemplateA family conversation guide by age — what your child needs to know, what to say, and a family emergency plan fill-in at the end.
↓ Download GuideNeed something you don't see here? The Jackie Project works with families 1-on-1 to prepare for specific meetings, hearings, and conversations. No family should walk into a room alone.
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