Founded in 1985, Idaho Parents Unlimited, Inc. (IPUL) is a statewide organization which houses the Idaho Parent Training and Information Center, the Family to Family Health Information Center, Idaho Family Voices and IPUL Arts.
IPUL Education: The Parent Training and Information Center ensures that parents of children with disabilities receive training and information on their rights, responsibilities, and protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in order to develop the skills necessary to cooperatively and effectively participate in planning and decision making relating to early intervention, educational, and transitional services.
IPUL Health: As the State Family Voices Affiliate and the Family to Family Health Information Center, IPUL assists families in making informed choices about health care; provides training, information, and resources to families of children with special health care needs.
IPUL Arts: Creative Access Artist in Residence Program and Work of Art. IPUL empowers and engages people with disabilities in the creative process through opportunities which are fully inclusive, educational. and participatory. IPUL Arts connects teaching artists with students both with and without disabilities in Idaho schools and community centers through our Creative Access Artist in Residence program ensuring children and youth have access to high-quality arts education. IPUL Arts also houses the Work of Art program in partnership with the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to provide pre-employment skills to youth with disabilities through a unique and collaborative design thinking process.
Idaho Parents Unlimited's programs fulfill a mission to educate, empower, support and advocate for individuals with disabilities and their families.
IPUL's programs are funded through grants and contracts with the following:
Who are IPUL?
Staff
Angela Lindig
Executive Director
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(208) 342-5884 Ext. 102
Sarah Tueller
Program Coordinator / Parent Education Coordinator
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(208) 342-5884 Ext. 103
Page Sellards
Parent Education Coordinator
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(208) 342-5884 Ext. 104
Joe Gonzalez
Parent Education Coordinator
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(208) 342-5884, Ext. 109
Heather Kirk Skinner
Arts Coordinator / Parent Education Trainer
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(208) 342-5884, Ext. 106
Rosario Beagarie
Parent Education Coordinator
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(208) 342-5884, Ext. 106
Candace Garman
Bookkeeper
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(208) 342-5884, Ext. 101
Bill Nuttycombe
IT Specialist
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(208) 342-5884, Ext 105
2019 - Board of Directors
North
Lisa Richards Evans
Cait Christensen
Allison Wright
East
Jared White
Alycia Birch
Southwest
Jennifer Johnson
Dallas Gudgell
Mary Gauthier
Roy Elizondo
Stephanie Hoffman
South Central
Becky Baily
Who IPUL Serves
Who do we serve?
Idaho Parents Unlimited works with parents, family members, and caregivers of children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs and the professionals who are a part of their lives. While our office is in Boise, we work statewide using technology, and we frequently travel to all regions of the state throughout the year. We assist families who have children of any diagnosis from birth to age 26.
Who are Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs?
Children and youth who have or are at increased risk for chronic, physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions and who also require health, education, and related services beyond that required by children generally (http://familyvoices.org/ncfpp/f2fs/). To keep things simple, Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs will be referred to by using the acronym CYSHCN.
68% have 2 or more health conditions
45.5% have health conditions that affect their daily activities
37.5% require specialized medical care
33.2% require mental health care
47.2% needed mental/behavioral health care but did not receive it (2)
12% of Idaho’s student population receive special education services
In Idaho, there are approximately 34,000 children ages 3-21 receiving special education services. Furthermore, an approximate 4,500 students receive services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (access accommodations). (NCLD) https://www.ncld.org/identifying-struggling-students
This does not account for infants, toddlers, or students who may be homeschooled or in private school settings. It is estimated that one in five children are living with a disability or special health care need.
Idaho Parents Unlimited provides assistance and training to approximately 5,000 families and professionals each year. Our services are always at no cost to families and are available to anyone who seeks them.
Contact IPUL
For assistance, the best method is via our webform or our intake line.
By Webform: Ask Idaho Parents Unlimited a Question By Phone: (208) 342-5884 (Intake line) Toll free: (800) 242-IPUL (4785) By Fax: (208) 342-1408 By Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Office Location/Mailing Address
Idaho Parents Unlimited, Inc.
4619 W Emerald St, Ste. E
Boise, ID 83706
Idaho Parents Unlimited's Social Media Policy
Idaho Parents Unlimited has an online presence on several different platforms. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While we post things on these services, we don't constantly monitor them for private messages. Facebook specifically has been unreliable in notifying us about private messages, due to having more than one page administrator. Therefore, if you send a message to our FB inbox, you will receive an automatic reply directing you to our website intake form or phone number. We prefer to use our systems that are designed to provide appropriate assistance.
We have policies regarding staff and their personal Facebook pages as well as other social media sites - including personal cell phones (text messaging). Frequently, our staff are tagged in posts on groups and expected to respond (or they feel obligated) after regular business hours. They also receive private instant messages via this technology as well.
Our company policy is that all staff have been instructed to respond to work-related messages only during our regular business hours (Monday-Friday; 9:00-5:00) or during their individually scheduled hours when they are each working using company equipment and resources only. If you contact employees with their personal messaging accounts, they are instructed to not respond, other than to direct you to our official channels.
The best way to ask us for help is via our intake inbox, available on our website at the link that says "Contact Idaho Parents Unlimited - (Ask Us a Question Here)" or by calling our phone line at (208) 342-5884 and leaving a message on our intake line.
Parents, guardians, and other interested parties who seek IPUL’s assistance will receive, on a timely basis, accurate, culturally appropriate, understandable information and referral services on their children’s disabilities and their children’s rights under the laws that serve children/adults with disabilities. Additionally we will provide information on effective participation in team decision-making and finding service options/opportunities to meet their children and families’ needs. IPUL’s services must be accessible to all families in Idaho, regardless of language, disability, or cultural differences.
IPUL believes in the full participation of people with disabilities and their families in all decision-making processes that affect the services their children receive.
IPUL believes that people with disabilities and their families have the right and the responsibility to be actively involved in the local, state, and national decision-making that affect their lives. To that end, IPUL will seek to identify and facilitate the involvement of parents of children and youth with disabilities on policy-making committees and activities.
Based on established priorities, IPUL will participate in systemic change efforts that promote the interests of individuals with disabilities and their families.
IPUL believes parents should be informed of the options and opportunities that their children, upon adulthood, have to make their own life decisions, to the maximum extent possible. To facilitate this process IPUL provides the tools and resources families need to best advocate in the transition to adult service systems process.
