Policy Statement On Inclusion Of Children With Disabilities In Early Childhood Programs

This year our country proudly celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the 40th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the 50th anniversary of Head Start. All three efforts have been transformative in ensuring equal opportunity for all Americans. While tremendous progress has been made, the anniversaries of these laws are cause for reflection on the work that lies ahead.

Children with disabilities and their families continue to face significant barriers to accessing inclusive high-quality early childhood programs and too many preschool children with disabilities are only offered the option of receiving special education services in settings separate from their peers without disabilities. This lag in inclusive opportunities is troubling for many reasons. First, equal opportunity is one of America’s most cherished ideals. Being meaningfully included as a member of society is the first step to equal opportunity and is every person’s right – a right supported by our laws. Second, research indicates that early childhood inclusion is beneficial to children with and without disabilities. Third,  preliminary research shows that operating inclusive early childhood programs is not necessarily more expensive than operating separate early childhood programs for children with disabilities. Finally, meaningful inclusion can support children with disabilities in reaching their full potential resulting in broad societal benefits, including higher productivity in adulthood and fewer resources spent on interventions and public assistance later in life.

It is well documented that the beginning years of all children’s lives are critical for building the early foundations of learning and wellness needed for success in school and later in life. During these years, children’s brains develop rapidly, influenced by the experiences they share with their families, teachers, peers, and in their communities. Like all children, it is critical for children with disabilities to be exposed to a variety of rich experiences where they can learn in the context of play and everyday interactions and engage with their peers with and without disabilities. In partnership with families, high-quality early childhood programs can facilitate the experiences that foster learning for all children.

States and communities have made progress in expanding early learning opportunities for young children, with 40 States and the District of Columbia now offering some form of State-funded public prekindergarten programs and a growing number of States are increasing access to infant-toddler early childhood programs. Aligning with the movement of States, the Federal government has several efforts to increase access to and the quality of early childhood programs through the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, Preschool Development Grants, expansion of Head Start and Early Head Start, and the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, among others. Despite these expansions in the availability of early childhood programs, there has not yet been a proportionate expansion of inclusive early learning opportunities for young children with disabilities. It is critical when expanding the availability of highquality early childhood programs to ensure that children with disabilities are included in these opportunities, so they too reap the benefits of high-quality early learning experiences. Systems should be built and expanded to support the learning and development of all children. This means that a “highquality” early childhood program should be one that is inclusive of children with disabilities and their families, ensuring that policies, funding, and practices enable their full participation and success.

Given the important nationwide focus on early learning, the time is right to strengthen our efforts to address barriers to inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. All early childhood programs and services, including public and private preschool, center and family-based child care, Early Head Start and Head Start, and the IDEA, in partnership with families and communities, play an important role in building a nationwide culture of inclusion of children with disabilities.

Therein, on September 4, 2105, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) (the Departments) issued formal policy recommendations for all States, local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, and public and private early childhood programs for increasing the inclusion of infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities in  high-quality early childhood programs.

To read the entire policy report and recommendations please click here>

 

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