Florida Statutes and State Board of Education defines a surrogate parent as an individual appointed to act in the place of a parent in safeguarding a student’s rights in the exceptional education decision-making process, when the student’s parent, after reasonable efforts, cannot be located by the school district, the student is a ward of the state under State law, or the student is an unaccompanied homeless youth.

NOTE: For students living in residential facilities, group homes or foster homes, district personnel must determine if the biological or adoptive parent (or guardian) is available, and if a court has not prohibited the biological or adoptive parent’s (or guardian’s) right to have contact with and make educational decisions for the child, then biological or adoptive parent (or guardian) continues to represent the child in educational decisions.

Rights of the Surrogate Parent
A person appointed as a surrogate parent is entitled to all of the procedural safeguards afforded to a parent with respect to the identification, evaluation, and placement of an exceptional student with a disability or a student who is suspected of being an exceptional student with a disability.