Cindy Belleque - Parent Mentor
Mrs. Cindy Belleque, Parent Mentor for OCEC, is the mother of four children, one of whom was diagnosed with autism in 1993. Her children have always been in public schools and have been through the IEP process from Pre-school to Adult Services, including guardianship. She worked in an integrated preschool
as a paraprofessional for five years and is working on her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. She has worked with families, taught workshops on parenting, autism, social competence and other subjects.
Her goal is to see parents and schools partner together to provide the best educational experience for kids with special needs. As a Parent Mentor, Cindy assists parents of special education students through trainings, support groups,
and by helping parents with the IEP process, by building partnerships between parents and schools, and by developing parent leadership.
The Parent Mentor Program is possible through a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education and The Illinois Federation of Families. (www.pepartnership.org)
Services Cindy provides include:
-Assisting parents in learning about the special education process (forms, parent rights, evaluation, IEP).
-Attending IEP Conferences upon request.
-Promotong and develop parent support groups and local special education advisory councils.
-Assisting families in locating and accessing community resources.
-Increasing parent involvement and leadership in communities and schools.
For assistance, contact Cindy Belleque at:
Phone: (779) 545-0057or (773) 726-7620
Fax: (815) 234-2938
Email: cbelleque@ocecil.org
