Maureen grew up in the Bay Area along with her 4 siblings, one of which struggled with severe disabilities. Because of the strong advocacy of her mother, her brother overcame many obstacles and now lives a fulfilling and independent life. Maureen and her husband of 33 years have 4 beautiful children and recently retired from 25 years of fostering medically complex infants and toddlers. Their 2 youngest are on the Autism Spectrum with co-morbid diagnosis. Maureen models that strong advocacy for her own daughters. She is passionate about helping and supporting other parents advocate for their children to receive appropriate supports and services in the school system and in the community. Maureen attended the Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy 2 day Bootcamp in 2017, and holds a certificate of completion as a Master IEP Coach after completing the Master IEP coach Mentorship Program. She also recently joined COPAA and looks forward to continuing to build her knowledge via their many courses and advocacy tools.