Association for Special Children and Families

The Association for Special Children and Families (ASCF) is a community-based organization for families of children with disabilities. We were founded by a small group of dedicated parents in 1978 who wanted to assist other parents in the challenging role of parenting and educating a child with a disability. Our goal is to support and educate parents to advocate for their own child with a special need. We are not advocates, but parent consultants who guide and support parents. Parents are their child’s best and most effective advocates. We give them the tools to do this on their own. We have been here almost 4 decades helping and supporting parents who have children with disabilities. In the beginning, we were all volunteer parents who operated on small donations. Now we have 5 part-time staff, consultants and many community volunteers who assist us in our programs. We work with local partner agencies toward a common goal of helping children with special needs reach their full potential. Our parent activities are funded by the Office of Special Education (OSEP), US Department of Education and Passaic County Department of Human Services. Our Children’s programs are made possible through fundraising activities and community donations.