Build your advocacy. Strengthen your leadership. Amplify your voice.

The PEAL Center’s Family Leadership Institute (FLI) is designed for parents and caregivers of children and young people with disabilities and special healthcare needs who want to become confident and informed leaders.

Through this interactive training series, participants will gain a deeper understanding of healthcare, education, and disability policies, and learn practical tools to increase the impact of their voice.

The goal: to promote meaningful, positive changes for children, young people, and families across Pennsylvania.

What You’ll Learn

FLI covers a wide range of essential topics, including:

Disability History
IEPs vs. Section 504 Plans
Pennsylvania Waivers
- Presented by the Pennsylvania Health Law Project
The PA Medical Home Project
- Presented by the Director of the PA Medical Home Project
Care Mapping
Dispute Resolution
And more

By joining FLI, you will:

Build confidence as an advocate
Understand your rights and learn how to navigate education, healthcare, and disability systems with clarity and purpose.
Gain practical, real-world tools
Learn strategies you can immediately apply to IEP meetings, care planning, dispute resolution, and policy conversations.
Develop leadership skills
Strengthen your ability to speak up, collaborate, and influence change at the individual, community, and systems levels.
Connect with other families
Join a supportive network of caregivers who share your experiences and are committed to creating positive change.
Make a lasting impact
Use your voice to improve outcomes not only for your own family, but for children, young people, and families across Pennsylvania.

Pre-Training Requirement

Before the first session, participants must complete The PEAL Center’s “Online IEP Academy”, which provides an in-depth, easy-to-understand breakdown of the IEP process.

The “IEP Academy” can be found here:
The PEAL Center – Helping Families of Children with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs

Training Format

All sessions will be held in person at the Industrious Building located at 901 Market Street, Suite 3020, Philadelphia, PA 19107 in the Fashion District
Participants must commit to attending all sessions

Session Schedule

Sessions will take place on Fridays from 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. on the following dates:

March 13th, 2026
April 10th, 2026
May 8th, 2026

***The PEAL Center can reimburse participants for mileage up to 100 miles round trip. Other transportation expenses may also be reimbursed after the session date with submission of a valid receipt.