Parent Surrogate

Cecil County Public Schools shall ensure an individual is assigned to act as a surrogate for the parents of the child when:

• No parent can be identified;
• The whereabouts of the parents cannot be located, after reasonable efforts; or
• Your child is a Ward of the State.

Cecil County Public Schools has a procedure for determining whether a child needs a parent surrogate and for assigning a parent surrogate to the child.  A parent surrogate is a person appointed by the local school superintendent to represent the child as parents would in the educational decision-making process. The parent surrogate may represent the child in all matters relating to the identification, evaluation, and the educational placement of the child, and the provision of FAPE, including the appeal process.

 A person selected as a surrogate:

• Cannot be an employee of Cecil County Public Schools that is involved in the education or care of the child; 
• Must have no interest that conflicts with the interest of the child that the individual represents; and 
• Is to have knowledge and skills that ensure adequate representation of your child.  

 Cecil County Public Schools may select as a surrogate an individual who is an employee of a nonpublic agency that only provides non-educational care for the child, and who has no interest that conflicts with the interest of the child the individual represents, and who has knowledge and skills that ensure adequate representation of the child.  An individual is not considered an agency employee solely because that individual may be paid by an agency to serve as a foster parent or a parent surrogate.