Idaho Parents Unlimited Inc

Idaho Parents Unlimited, Inc. (IPUL) is a statewide non-profit organization which houses the Idaho Parent Training and Information Center, the Family to Family Health Information Center, Idaho Family Voices, the Creative Access Art Center and VSA Idaho, an affiliate of VSA, the international organization on arts and disability.

Our small staff of eight - mostly parents of children with disabilities ourselves - work with more than 5,000 families each year. Grassroots fundraising helps us provide art opportunities in our Boise facility, assistance to parents to attend conferences and we've even helped with medical supplies and transportation for a family whose child needed surgery out of state. 

Recent statements about IPUL staff from parents:

“Lana with IPUL is a great resource for special education. She provided me with the special education manual which was so important. Now I take it with me and I am able to know what my children’s rights are. I will go into a meeting knowing the law. The training was awesome and the power point was very informational.” Parent, E. Idaho. 

“After discussing our very frustrating situation with my daughter’s school and our journey to have her approved for an IEP, Jennifer Zielinski at IPUL encouraged us to contact the State Department of Education. Her recommendation was that we look at going through the Facilitated IEP Meeting process. It all sounded very intimidating and frustrating at the same time. I was not the least bit optimistic that this would help solve the problems we were having at the school. However, I did call the SDE and the process moved quickly. We were assigned a facilitator and she did most of the tricky work for us. She communicated with both sides to help write an agenda and set up a meeting that would be convenient for everyone. Preparing for the meeting and getting all of our documentation was our responsibility. Our meeting went smoothly but I don’t know if we could have done it without the facilitator and the process. We now have the IEP we’ve been wanting for the last several years.” – Parent, SW Idaho

"Without IPUL I still wouldn’t know what to do. I was extremely impressed by how quickly I was helped. IPUL has continued to stay in contact with me, which I appreciate. The relationship IPUL has with the Care Coordinators at various medical specialty offices is crucial to helping special needs children receive all the services they need." Parent - SW Idaho

"Thank you for your encouragement and the opportunity to enter our child in the Art Competition. He received great adjudication notes and compliments and had a super experience." Parent, N. Idaho