#COSA: MAC’s COVID-19 Response Plan

As of March 16th, MAC staff have been working remotely and have turned our efforts fully toward #COSA: COnnect, Share, Advocate, our three-part response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost eight weeks later, we’re happy to report that our response has connected families and advocates during a time that can often feel isolating, shared critical resources and information to vulnerable families, and seen initial success in advocating to ensure equitable delivery of education services during pandemic-related school closures.

Here’s an update on how #COSA has helped so far:


Connect: Bringing Families and Advocates Together

MAC Senior Attorney Diana Santiago and Parent Advocate Laura Perez talk to parents at one of our “Charlas Semanales”

MAC Senior Attorney Diana Santiago and Parent Advocate Laura Perez talk to parents at one of our “Charlas Semanales”

MAC’s Helpline is our virtual front door. With schools closed through the end of the year, parents and educators are working overtime to find effective ways to transition children to remote schooling. For students with disabilities, “schooling” has a wide definition: special education supports and services are critical to many children’s overall development and ability to learn.

Our Helpline staff and volunteers have responded by keeping up to date with the latest Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) guidelines and advisories in a fast-changing landscape, to bring families accurate information about their children’s legal rights. 

We’re also connecting families and advocates through our weekly chats, available both in Spanish and in English. Each week, MAC’s attorneys and outside speakers provide information for families adapting to a remote learning environment. Chat topics have included autism and at-home special education services, helping children manage anxiety during COVID-19, addressing the needs of transition age youth during COVID-19, ABA strategies to use at home for children with behavioral challenges, and more.

A Latinx parent from Boston’s South End who attended a Spanish weekly chat shared:

“Thanks for inviting me to your chat…I hope to keep coming and informing other parents who might want to participate.”

One parent who attended our English weekly chat shared:

“The weekly MAC chats are a critical guide for me and all parents in a time of uncertainty about the educational rights of their children.”

MAC has also started two new Facebook groups: MAC en Español, for Spanish-speaking families of children with disabilities, and MAC Autism Connections, for English-speaking families of children and youth with autism. The groups provide an easy way for families – sometimes facing even greater isolation due to language and cultural barriers, to connect with each other, share messages of hope in this time of crisis, and learn about resources available to help.


Share: Resources for Communities

MAC launched a new website in late March – and with it, a brand new COVID-19 Resources page compiling critical information for families across the state.

Resources include a Q&A on Special Education Services in Massachusetts During COVID-19, available in multiple languages, a sample email in English and in Spanish for parents to request special education services while schools are closed, and a sample remote learning plan from DESE.


Advocate: For Educational Equity

Our work isn’t complete without policy-level advocacy. Initial guidance from the federal and state governments sparked fear that children receiving special education services may see those services cease altogether, and their rights taken away, during the crisis. MAC immediately advocated with DESE to ensure that services would continue to the extent possible. As the situation unfolds, we’ve continued to find creative ways to limit access barriers to special education services – such as temporarily lifting restrictions on the remote delivery of several critical services.

Experience has taught us that, as a leader in child advocacy, we’re stronger together. We’ve brought together our allies and coalition partners to coordinate a cohesive response to the crisis. Our Special Education Emergency Response Group brings together advocates from organizations, agencies, family networks, and legal services, to find solutions to the barriers families are now facing, such as: lack of access to remote learning technology, language and cultural barriers, transitioning children out of Early Intervention services during the pandemic, and more.  

Sophia Johansson, Co-Chair and Northeast Regional Coordinator for Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change and Northeast Family Leadership Program Director at Riverside Community Care, says this group has helped inform her advocacy work with families. As a parent of three, one of whom has a developmental disability, Sophia also appreciates the solace she receives from the group on a personal level. Sophia writes,

“Every Monday, when this group meets, I am reminded how many people are paying attention to our families and taking action on our behalf.”

 Our work continues, and as always, MAC is here to help. Here are a few ways you can take action:

Autism, CLSP, Racial Equity in Education, School Discipline Reform, Special Education, Trauma and LearningMassachusetts Advocates for ChildrenCoalitions, Immigrant Families, Proyecto Acceso a la Educación Especial, Resources, Transition, COVID-19, Mental Health