Statement on Recent closures at US Dept of Education & US Department of Health & Human Services

Family to Family Network (F2FN), a nonprofit, non-partisan, organization serving thousands of greater Houston families of children and young adults with disabilities, is gravely concerned about the consequences of recent federal restructuring and agency shutdowns. These actions are already disrupting essential protections, educational access, and community-based services that people with disabilities rely on—and the long-term impact could be devastating.

Of particular concern is the reduction of critical functions within the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including:

• The closure of regional Offices for Civil Rights (OCR), including the Dallas office, which plays a vital role in preventing and addressing discrimination based on race, sex, age, national origin, and disability. Without this enforcement mechanism, families will face increased barriers when seeking accountability after being denied equal access to education.
• The weakening of oversight and enforcement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides the legal foundation for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans—both of which ensure students with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Without federal protection, the rights of millions of students risk going unmet.
• The disruption of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services managed through the U.S. Department of Education and administered by state agencies like the Texas Workforce Commission. These services help students with disabilities prepare for and obtain employment, offering them a path to independence, inclusion, and economic self-sufficiency.

In addition, the proposed dismantling of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) under HHS threatens the integrity of several cornerstone disability programs, including:

• The Developmental Disabilities (DD) Councils, which promote innovation, advocacy, and systems change across states. In Texas, the DD Council directly supports F2FN programs that remove barriers and improve outcomes for people with developmental disabilities.
• Disability Rights Texas (DRTx), a key partner to F2FN and many families, which offers free legal advocacy, produces educational tools like the IDEA Manual and the Interactive Discipline Guide, and protects the rights of students when local or state-level processes fail.
• The Consumer Choice and Control programs, including Person-Centered Planning and Supported Decision-Making, which help individuals with disabilities retain autonomy and live self-directed, meaningful lives within their communities.

The elimination or erosion of these agencies and protections would not only reverse decades of progress in disability rights—it would place a disproportionate burden on families who are already navigating complex systems with limited resources.

For more than 30 years, Family to Family Network has seen firsthand how access to these services can transform lives. We urge policymakers to consider the very real, long-term consequences of these shutdowns and reductions. Our children and adults with disabilities deserve better.

We stand committed to advocating for an inclusive, accessible, and equitable future—and we urge others to do the same.

Mary Jane Williams
Executive Director
Family to Family Network

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