Sharan DePalma

Sharan DePalma is an education advisor/consultant in the Westchester Court Education Initiative at Westchester County Family Court. The Education Initiative is designed to address the educational needs of children ages 3-21 whose parents are in court due to allegations of neglect or abuse, who have been placed in foster care, who are reuniting with their biological families, or who are in the adoptive process. This population is generally at a higher risk for developmental disabilities, truancy, and tenuous living situations. Many of these children are not receiving an appropriate education or program to meet these needs. Through careful consultation with judges and court attorney referees, Sharan works with attorneys for the child, the Department of Social Services, school districts, and caregivers to secure educational entitlements for these youth. Sharan resides in Westchester county with her husband and three children. She attended Stony Brook University and is certified through the Special Education Advocacy Program through the Counsel of Parent Advocates and Attorneys. Her work in education has spanned more than a decade in the tri-state area with a primary focus in Westchester County.