Brianna Bell

The Project

Brianna (she/her/hers) provided legal assistance and support to children in the Allegheny County child welfare system with special education needs who were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The goal of Brianna’s project was to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on dependency system-involved children who receive special education services. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, these students went months without educational services or with insufficient supports and services resulting in long-term consequences. Without the stability of a secure family, these children were particularly susceptible to receiving an inadequate education, which has a lifelong impact as they transition to adulthood. 

Fellowship Highlights

Brianna advocated for recoupment and compensatory services based on the Pennsylvania Department of Education guidance to address the needs of special education students impacted by the extended school closure. She researched and advocated for best practices to be implemented in school districts for their benefit. Brianna also provided consultations and technical assistance to attorneys and child advocacy specialists on individual special education cases, advocated for children at Individual Education Program (IEP) and other school meetings, and provided support to foster parents and other caregivers in their role as educational decision-maker.