Merged Pdfs

P O L I C Y S TAT E M E N T O N I N C L U S I O N O F C H I L D R E N W I T H D I S A B I L I T I E S I N E A R LY C H I L D H O O D P R O G R A M S
This document contains resources that are provided for the reader’s convenience. The inclusion of these materials
is not intended to reflect its importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services
offered. These materials may contain the views and recommendations of various subject matter experts as well as
hypertext links, contact addresses and websites to information created and maintained by other public and private
organizations. The opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies
of the U.S. Departments of Education or Health and Human Services. The U.S. Departments of Education and
Health and Human Services do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of
any outside information included in these materials.
i
PURPOSE
All young children with disabilities i should have access to high-quality inclusive early childhood programs ii
that provide individualized and appropriate support so they can fully participate alongside their peers
without disabilities, meet high expectations, and achieve their full potential. The responsibility to ensure
that young children with disabilities and their families are included in high-quality early childhood
programs is shared by federal, State, and local governments, early childhood systems, early childhood
programs and providers, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools.
This policy statement from the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services
(HHS) (the Departments) builds upon our earlier 2015 policy statement with renewed commitment and
urgency as children with disabilities continue to face significant barriers accessing and participating in
inclusive early childhood programs. This updated joint ED and HHS policy statement for States, iii LEAs,
schools, early intervention (EIS) providers, and early childhood programs advances the Departments’
position by:
• Reiterating the expectation for inclusion iv in high-quality early childhood programs;
• Setting the expectation that inclusion continues as children transition into elementary school;
• Continuing to increase public awareness and understanding of the latest science that supports
inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs from the earliest ages;
• Reinforcing the legal foundations supporting inclusion in early childhood;
• Reiterating and updating recommendations for State and local agencies that implement Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs, Head Start, child care, home visiting,
preschools, and public schools for increasing inclusive early learning opportunities for all children;
• Updating models and exemplars of inclusion; and
• Identifying and sharing resources for States, LEAs, EIS providers, early childhood programs,
schools, early childhood personnel, v and families to support high-quality individualized
programming and inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs.
Disability is a natural part of the human experience. Almost 45 million adults have a disability,1 and nearly
one out of six children are estimated to have a developmental delay. 2 A disability should not diminish
i As used in this document, “children with disabilities” refers to infants and toddlers with disabilities and children with disabilities served under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as well as infants and toddlers and children with developmental delays and disabilities who are not
receiving services under the IDEA or who are going through the eligibility process to determine if they are eligible for IDEA services.
ii As used in this document, “early childhood programs” refer to those that provide early care and education to children birth through age five,
including but not limited to childcare centers, family child care, Early Head Start, Head Start, home visiting programs, and public and private
pre-kindergarten in-school and community-based settings.
iii As used in this document, “State” refers to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, outlying areas and
jurisdictions, and the freely-associated States.
iv A full description of “inclusion in early childhood programs” is on pages 6–7.
v As used in this document, “early childhood personnel” refers to professionals who provide early care and education services to children birth
through age five, including public or private preschool teachers, home and center-based child care providers, Head Start and Early Head Start
teachers, home visitors, early interventionists, early childhood special educators, and related services personnel.
1
one’s right to participate in or contribute to society. Though this policy statement focuses on including
young children with disabilities in early childhood programs, it remains the Departments’ shared vision
that people of all abilities be included in all facets of society throughout their lives as it benefits not only
individuals with disabilities but also all individuals in our communities. Building a culture of inclusion for
individuals with disabilities begins at birth in early childhood programs and continues into schools,
communities, and places of employment. Inclusion in early childhood programs can set a trajectory for
inclusion across a lifespan. Consequently, there is a critical need to improve policies and programs to
support early childhood inclusion from birth and as children move into elementary school.
2
OVERVIEW
The Departments’ September 2015 Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early
Childhood Programs (policy statement) articulated a vision for increasing access to high-quality inclusive
early childhood programs for young children with disabilities. The Departments have held multiple
listening sessions since then with federal staff, State and local early childhood administrators, early
childhood programs and providers, families, technical assistance (TA) providers, advocates, faculty, and
researchers. During these sessions, participants shared that they used the 2015 policy statement to drive
changes in policies and practices to support the inclusion of young children with disabilities across
multiple levels of the early childhood system. Some examples include:
• Increased awareness of the benefits of early childhood inclusion led many States and local
communities to prioritize inclusion and improve policies and practices that support inclusion in
State and local system level plans.
• Early childhood programs and providers improved their policies, practices, and early learning
environments to support the inclusion of young children with disabilities and their families in their
programs and services.
• Higher education faculty and training and TA providers used the policy statement as an essential
component of trainings and professional development (PD) and TA support. They created new
resources and documents to highlight the policy statement and support implementation of its
recommendations.
• Families used the policy statement as a tool to bring awareness to the importance of inclusion,
and advocate for more inclusive services and practices across early childhood settings. Families
used resources developed from the policy statement to navigate early intervention and special
education processes and find more inclusive options for their young children with disabilities.
Despite these positive actions and the strong legal and research foundation to support inclusive early
learning, young children with disabilities and their families continue to face significant barriers to accessing
and participating in inclusive high-quality early childhood programs. Families of infants and toddlers with
disabilities report that they have difficulty finding and keeping child care, which can cause stress and
impact their employment opportunities. 3,4 Additionally, because of fewer options, children with
disabilities are more likely to enter child care at a later age, to attend for fewer hours, and to have less
access to child care programs than children without disabilities.5 In many systems, programs are not
structured to provide preschool children vi with disabilities access to early childhood special education
services in inclusive settings. In 2021, more than half (55.4 percent) of preschool children with disabilities
received early childhood special education services in settings separate from their peers without
disabilities. 6 Data trends over the past four decades indicate that the percentage of preschool children
with disabilities who receive early childhood special education services in inclusive early childhood
programs has remained largely unchanged. 7 In addition to children with disabilities’ limited access to
vi
As used in this document, “preschool children” refers to children ages three, four, and five, not yet in kindergarten.
3
inclusive preschool settings, 8 there continue to be significant disparities in children’s access to high-quality
services and inclusive early childhood programs based on a child’s disability, support needs, race and
ethnicity, language, and geographic and economic circumstances. 9,10,11,12,13,14 Research and data collection
in early intervention highlight differences in children’s access to screening, evaluation, and services
especially for children of color, those from low-income families, those living in rural communities, and
those whose first language is not English. 15,16,17 Data indicate that young children of color do not have the
same levels of access to inclusive preschool services as their white peers. 18,19 Additionally, there are wide
variations across States in the percentage of children with disabilities served under the IDEA and the
percentage of children with disabilities who receive IDEA services in general early childhood programs.20
The COVID-19 pandemic further limited access to inclusive early childhood programs, with some
communities more significantly impacted. Program and classroom closures in some communities resulted
in fewer inclusive community-based early childhood programs for children with disabilities to attend. In
addition, workforce shortages have negatively affected early intervention and special education services,
with some systems indicating that staffing shortages are impacting the provision of inclusive services in
early childhood settings. These trends make it even more imperative that all levels of the system, from
the federal government to State and local systems and programs, take action to improve participation of
children with disabilities in, and their access to, inclusive early childhood settings.
In order to address the negative impacts of the pandemic and longstanding challenges facing young
children with disabilities, States and local communities must continue to build, enhance, and expand their
inclusive early childhood systems and programs. Doing so highlights the importance of designing systems
and programs to support the learning and development of all children. A high-quality early childhood
program is, in part, one that is inclusive, culturally and linguistically responsive, and provides a sense of
belonging for all children and their families. Nearly one in six or about 17 percent of children have a
developmental disability,21 but only approximately 3.7 percent of infants and toddlers with disabilities 22
and approximately four percent of preschoolers with disabilities are served under the IDEA. 23 Children
with disabilities and their families should be able to access and participate in any early childhood programs
and services available to children without disabilities. The IDEA outlines the responsibility of State lead
agencies and EIS providers and State educational agencies (SEAs) and LEAs to serve children with
disabilities in natural environments (under Part C) and in the least restrictive environment (LRE) (under
Part B) to the maximum extent appropriate, including serving children with disabilities in community-
based settings such as Head Start, Early Head Start, and community-based child care programs, as well as
other public or private early childhood preschool programs. It is important for children with disabilities
and their families to be intentionally included in high-quality early childhood programs, so they too reap
the benefits of high-quality early learning experiences. This means ensuring that policies, funding, and
program practices enable each and every child’s full participation and success in early care and education
systems. Serving children in a manner that engages their families is a cornerstone of early childhood
education, and State and local policies and practices should also take into consideration engaging all
families, including the 4.4 million parents with a disability, 24 to ensure that all families can fully participate
in their children’s early learning experiences.
By describing high-quality inclusive early childhood programs and highlighting how systems and programs
should operate based on research and legal requirements, the Departments make clear through this
4
policy statement that all children with disabilities should have access to high-quality inclusive early
childhood programs regardless of type of disability, level of services and supports needed, race and
ethnicity, language, and geographic and economic circumstances.
5
THE FOUNDATION FOR INCLUSION IN

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
Standing on a strong research and legal foundation, policy makers for decades have partnered with
families, advocates, practitioners, and researchers to promote high expectations for what children with
disabilities can learn and do and expand access to inclusive early childhood programs. Continued work is
needed, however, to expand children’s access to and full participation in inclusive early learning
opportunities regardless of the level of services and supports the child needs, the child’s race and
ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, or residence. Further progress requires a shared responsibility
and a nationwide commitment to:
1) work together to reshape attitudes and beliefs about inclusion and expectations for what children
with disabilities can achieve;
2) implement policies, budgets, and practices that prioritize access to and participation in high-
quality early childhood programs for children with disabilities; and
3) create a comprehensive system that meets the individualized learning and developmental needs
of each and every child.
The following sections set a basic foundation for expanding children’s access to inclusive opportunities,
which can inform implementation of the State, LEA, EIS provider, early childhood program, and school
level recommendations provided in subsequent sections.
Inclusion in Early Childhood Programs

Young children with disabilities must be given access to the early childhood programs, services, and
experiences that children without disabilities have within a State or local community. Specifically, high-
quality inclusive early childhood programs are ones that:
• Include children with disabilities in early childhood programs they would participate in if they did
not have a disability, so they can learn together with their peers without disabilities;
• Provide high-quality teaching and learning environments that support children’s development and
allow all children to meet high expectations;
• Intentionally promote children’s participation in all learning and social activities, facilitated by
individualized accommodations and differentiated interventions and instruction;
• Use high-quality, evidence-based services and supports that are developmentally appropriate,
culturally and linguistically responsive, vii and that foster children’s—
 acquisition and use of knowledge and skills,
vii As used in this document, culturally and linguistically responsive practices involve recognizing and incorporating experiences, perspectives,
assets, and strengths all children bring into the early childhood setting and ensuring that learning experiences are relevant to all children.
6
 use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs,

 positive social emotional skills, including friendships with peers, and
 sense of belonging;
• Provide services and supports to children with disabilities in early childhood programs with peers
without disabilities, and within daily routines and learning and social activities;
• Recognize families as collaborative partners, experts, and engaged decision-makers in their
children’s lives and value and treat children with disabilities and their families with respect; and
• Ensure supports, such as screening and identification processes, early childhood program and
school partnerships, access to and use of data, and PD are in place to enable early childhood
programs and providers to successfully include children with disabilities and their families.
The Scientific Basis for the Benefits of Inclusion

Research shows that early childhood inclusion is beneficial both to children with and without
disabilities. 25,26 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. Studies have shown that individualized
evidence-based strategies for children with disabilities can be implemented successfully in inclusive early
childhood programs.27,28,29,30 Children with disabilities, including those with the most significant disabilities
and the highest needs, can make significant developmental and learning progress in inclusive
settings. 31,32,33 Some studies have shown that children with disabilities in inclusive settings experienced
greater cognitive gains and communication development than children with disabilities who were in
separate settings, with this being particularly apparent among children with more significant
disabilities. 34,35,36,37 Further, children with disabilities tend to have similar levels of engagement as their
peers without disabilities,38,39 and are more likely to practice newly acquired skills in inclusive settings as
compared to separate settings. 40 Likewise, research suggests that children’s growth and learning are
related to their peers’ skills, particularly among children with disabilities. 41 High-quality inclusion that
begins early and continues into school likely produces the strongest outcomes. Studies have shown that
children with disabilities who spend more time in general education classes tend to be absent fewer days
from school and have higher test scores in reading and math than those who spend less time in general
education classes, 42,43,44 and spending more time in general education classes was related to a higher
probability of employment and higher earnings. 45
In addition to making learning and achievement gains, children with disabilities in inclusive early childhood
programs also demonstrate stronger social-emotional skills than their peers in separate settings. 46 These
social benefits are robust and can continue into elementary school and beyond. 47 Studies have found that
children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms demonstrated more social interactions with peers with
and without disabilities, had larger networks of friends, and were more socially competent compared to
children in separate settings. 48,49,50,51,52 Importantly, while studies indicate that inclusive services produce
benefits for children with disabilities, these desired outcomes are achieved only when young children
with disabilities are included several days per week in social and learning opportunities with peers
without disabilities, and specialized instructional strategies are used to meet children’s individual needs.53
7
Systems supports such as resources for PD, ongoing coaching and collaboration, and time for
communication and planning are critical to ensure that programs and personnel can adequately meet the
needs of individual children. 54,55 Additionally, the developmental benefits of early childhood inclusion can
be lost if children are placed in separate settings in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school. 56
Inclusion in early childhood settings followed by inclusion in elementary school can sustain these
developmental gains.
Children without disabilities also benefit from inclusive early childhood programs. Studies indicate that
children without disabilities show positive academic, developmental, social, and attitudinal outcomes
from inclusive experiences.57,58 Children without disabilities demonstrate greater compassion and
empathy and have a more positive perception of children with disabilities when peer interactions are
adequately supported by classroom teachers. 59,60,61 They can also develop a better conceptual
understanding of diversity and disability. 62,63,64,65 Specifically, children without disabilities have been shown
to exhibit more social skills, such as communication and cooperation, and fewer problem behaviors as a
result of peer-mediated interventions in inclusive settings. 66 When programs and teachers have the
capacity to individualize learning and can provide appropriate developmental supports for each child, all
children can benefit, because all children learn best with individualized supports. Children without
disabilities in high-quality inclusive early childhood settings also gain incidental benefits from interactions
with developmental specialists who can identify and address delays or other issues in development that
might otherwise not be identified and provide classroom structures, environmental supports, and
instructional accommodations that can benefit all children.
The Legal Foundation for Inclusion

Applicable law broadly supports the right of children with disabilities to access inclusive
early childhood programs.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

The IDEA supports equal educational opportunities for eligible children with disabilities from birth
through age 21. Part C of the IDEA requires that appropriate early intervention services are made
available to all viii eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, to the maximum extent
appropriate, in natural environments. Natural environments include the home and community settings in
which children without disabilities participate. Under Part C, infants and toddlers with disabilities must be
provided services in the natural environment, to the maximum extent appropriate, as determined by the
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) team and factoring in each child’s routines, needs, and outcomes.
Similarly, under Part B of the IDEA, special education and related services are to be made available to all
children with disabilities ages three through 21, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the LRE, as
determined by the individualized education program (IEP) team and placement team based on an
viii Under Parts B and C of the IDEA, “all” means all eligible infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities in the State and includes those who are English
learners, immigrants (regardless of their immigration status), homeless, and in foster care, as well as those who reside on Indian reservations.
8
individual child’s unique strengths and needs as described in the child’s IEP. The LRE provisions in the
IDEA further require a continuum of placement options be available to best meet the diverse needs of
children with disabilities and presumes that the first placement option considered for each child with a
disability is the regular classroom the child would attend if they did not have a disability. Thus, before a
child with a disability can be placed outside of the regular educational environment, the placement team
must consider the full range of supplementary aids and services that could be provided to facilitate the
child’s placement in the regular early childhood setting. Each LEA must ensure that a free appropriate
public education (FAPE) is provided in the LRE to every child with a disability, ages three through 21, in its
jurisdiction regardless of whether the LEA operates public general early childhood programs.
To provide FAPE in the LRE, the LEA may need to work with community-based early childhood settings
(e.g., Head Start and Early Head Start programs, community-based child care programs, and public or
private general early childhood or preschool programs) to provide special education and related services
in those community-based settings. Additionally, preschool children are often identified as having a
disability while participating in an early childhood program, such as Head Start or a public pre-
kindergarten program. In determining placement options for a child with a disability who already
participates in a regular public early childhood program, including publicly funded community-based
programs operated by a public agency or private entity other than an LEA, Part B of the IDEA presumes
that the first placement option considered is the current public early childhood setting the child is
attending, even if the LEA operates an equally inclusive early childhood program. In addition, the
placement team must consider any potential harmful effects on the child, such as the loss of learning and
impact on a child’s sense of belonging or emotional regulation if the child is moved or transported
between early childhood programs and IDEA services, and on the quality of services that they need
before removing the child from the current regular early childhood setting to a more restrictive setting.
Additionally, IDEA regulations specify that a child with a disability is not to be removed from education in
age-appropriate regular early childhood programs solely because of needed modifications in the general
education curriculum.
The Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Title II of the
ADA prohibits discrimination in all the services, programs, or activities of any State or local government
regardless of whether they receive federal funds. It covers any early childhood program operated or
administered by a State or local government, including a public school district. Title II further requires
public entities to provide services in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of each
individual with a disability. Integrated settings are those that provide individuals with disabilities
opportunities to live, work, and receive services in their communities like individuals without disabilities.
Title III of the ADA requires similar obligations on places of public accommodation, such as private
schools, private child care programs, or private preschools, regardless of whether an entity receives
federal funds. ix
ix Religious organizations, and entities controlled by religious organizations (such as schools controlled by religious organizations), are exempt
from the requirements of Title III.
9
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) prohibits discrimination on the basis of
disability by public or private entities that receive federal financial assistance (FFA). FFA includes grants,
loans, and reimbursements from Federal agencies, including assistance provided to early childhood
programs. HHS and ED’s Section 504 regulations require recipients such as schools to provide equal
educational opportunities for children with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the
child’s needs (45 CFR §84.4(b)(2); 34 CFR §104.4(b)(2)). In addition, the Head Start Program
Performance Standards (45 CFR §1302.60) 67 require programs to ensure that all children, including but
not limited to those who are eligible for IDEA services, and their families receive all applicable program
services delivered in the least restrictive possible environment and that they fully participate in all
program activities.
Head Start Act and the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
The Head Start Act and the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG) have specific
provisions and requirements that support high-quality inclusive opportunities for children with disabilities.
By statute, Head Start and Early Head Start programs must make at least 10 percent of their enrollment
opportunities available to children with disabilities. 68 The CCDBG requires States to develop strategies
for increasing the supply and quality of child care services for children with disabilities
(42 USC 9858(c)(2)(M)(iii).
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OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE INCLUSION IN

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
Families and experts have identified several opportunities to improve access and participation of children
with disabilities in inclusive early childhood programs that are important for systems and programs to
consider:
Understanding Evidence-based Inclusion

Successful, high-quality inclusive early childhood programs require early childhood providers, and the
administrators who support them, to have high expectations for children with disabilities and believe that
they can learn, develop, and thrive in inclusive early childhood programs like their peers without
disabilities. Providers and administrators need access to accurate information about inclusion and
research demonstrating the positive effects of inclusion or they risk having low expectations for what
children with disabilities can learn and do and perpetuate practices that are not aligned with high-quality
inclusive programs. Having supports in place at all levels of the system helps providers and administrators
understand the feasibility of inclusion, and counter fears of the unfamiliar and resistance to change.
Unfortunately, some negative attitudes and erroneous beliefs about inclusion have remained largely
unchanged over the past several decades and have led to the establishment and maintenance of separate
systems and practices for children with disabilities. 69 However, the research on inclusion, described
earlier in this document, clearly demonstrates the benefits for all children, including those without
disabilities and those with the most significant support needs, and highlights that children with disabilities
can get the individualized support they need in inclusive settings. Efforts to expand access to inclusive
early childhood programs should focus on the evidence base to inform policies and practices and
showcase examples of programs implementing evidence-based inclusive practices that can shift attitudes
and beliefs for early childhood, early intervention, and early childhood special education personnel as well
as program, school, local, and State administrators.
Understanding IDEA Requirements

The percentage of children who receive IDEA services in inclusive settings varies widely both within and
among States, 70 suggesting that there is significant opportunity to improve access to inclusive early
childhood programs through education on IDEA requirements. It is critical that systems support parents
in understanding IDEA requirements and their rights under the law so that they can make informed
decisions and use the law to advocate for their child to be included in inclusive early childhood programs.
It is also necessary for systems to educate administrators, early childhood programs and providers, and
early intervention and early childhood special educators on the requirements of the law to support them
in making policy and practice decisions that are in alignment with IDEA requirements.
Data show that almost all infants and toddlers with disabilities served under the IDEA receive early
intervention services in the home. 71 IDEA’s Part C natural environments provision should not be
interpreted as only allowing early intervention services to be provided in eligible children’s homes.
11
IFSP teams should consider fully the family circumstance and how the child’s outcomes may be met within
the child’s daily routines and activities, including in other settings where infants and toddlers spend time,
such as inclusive child care, early childhood programs, or other community settings where children without
disabilities are present.
Similarly, IDEA’s FAPE and LRE requirements should not be interpreted as prioritizing or allowing IDEA
preschool special education and related services to be delivered only in preschool programs operated in a
public-school building; child care, Head Start, other publicly-funded, and private early childhood settings
can be used to provide FAPE. For example, in 2022, children with disabilities accounted for
13.21 percent of Head Start program enrollment and 12.52 percent of Early Head Start program
enrollment, 72 yet some IEP teams make decisions to remove preschool children with disabilities from
their inclusive early childhood programs and transport them during the day to a separate setting for their
IDEA services, instead of providing services and supports in the child’s regular early childhood program. 73
Multiple transitions can have a detrimental impact on children’s learning. Additionally, some parents
indicate that they are only given the placement option of a separate setting, such as a special education
preschool classroom, and not the regular early childhood program their child would attend if they did not
have a disability, as required by IDEA. 74 By only focusing on delivering IDEA services in programs
operated in the public school, many school and LEA administrators may not be aware of the range of
early childhood programs in their community with whom they could collaborate to support FAPE in the
LRE. 75 A mixed delivery system of public and private high-quality early childhood programs is vital in
increasing the availability of inclusive opportunities for children with disabilities. Such a system relies on a
thorough understanding of IDEA provisions.
Staffing and Training the Early Childhood Workforce

The interactions that children have with adults in early childhood settings shape their development and
learning. The quality of these interactions is a critical driver in the overall quality of inclusive
environments. Yet, there is variability in the training and support provided to staff across early childhood
settings, which may be dependent on the funding streams and local, State, and federal
requirements. 76,77,78 In addition, there is a shortage of providers across the early childhood system,
including within early intervention and early childhood special education—a shortage that increased
during the pandemic. 79,80 Staffing shortages impact efforts to fully meet the promise of IDEA to provide
high-quality inclusive opportunities and timely IDEA services. These shortages impact early childhood
programs and schools in communities with high proportions of children from racially and ethnically
diverse backgrounds and children from low-income families more than other communities. 81 In addition,
current staffing structures—including low wages, and limited benefits and workforce supports, for
example—contribute to staff shortages and present a challenge to providing high-quality inclusive early
learning experiences. 82,83
Variability in the training and educational opportunities accessible to all providers can have a substantial
impact on program quality.84,85 Knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practices that promote
positive outcomes for children with disabilities tie directly to program quality, and high-quality programs
in turn lead to better outcomes for children with disabilities. 86 Current systems of training, PD, and
12
ongoing supports may not be sufficient to ensure all providers have adequate basic knowledge and
competencies in child development, early childhood pedagogy, and developmentally appropriate practice;
and how to individualize instruction, promote social-emotional and language development, manage
challenging behavior, and scaffold and generalize learning across activities and between peers. Training
should also address how to include and support children with disabilities and their families so providers
feel prepared to work with them,87, 88 as well as specifically focus on examining their attitudes and beliefs
on inclusion to understand how they may present barriers to inclusion.
For the early intervention and early childhood special education workforce, the variability in their level
and type of specialized training also impacts access to inclusion. Early childhood special educators’
attitudes and beliefs about the ability of early childhood programs and providers’ ability to provide
appropriate supports to children with disabilities can influence their decisions on inclusion. 89 Creating
inclusive environments requires trust and collaboration between early intervention and early childhood
special education providers and the general early childhood workforce. Early intervention and early
childhood special education providers should have access to training, PD, and system supports so they
can examine how their attitudes and beliefs impact their practice decisions and placement
recommendations. Their training and PD should also support them to collaborate with general early
childhood providers and successfully provide services in inclusive environments based on a firm
understanding of the quality supports and services provided by general early childhood programs such as
preschool, child care, and Head Start programs.
Committing to Build Partnerships

The multiple systems, such as early care and education, early intervention and special education, and
health, that provide services to young children are often structured to deliver services in separate
settings. Siloed systems may disproportionately affect children with disabilities who are often involved
with several systems. Strong partnerships among EIS providers, LEAs, schools, and early childhood
programs and providers are key ingredients to successful inclusion, and critical to ensure that children
served by multiple early childhood sectors receive adequate and appropriate supports and services in
their early childhood programs. Many communities believe in the importance of inclusion but have made
little progress due to limited planning time or leaders’ lack of commitment and support. Coordinating
across systems is complex, so fostering relationships between early childhood system leaders and
providers requires an ongoing commitment and a willingness to build systems by aligning policies and
practices, providing dedicated funding and resources for inclusion, and enabling structures for educators
and providers to implement evidence-based inclusive practices. Systems and providers should also
commit to building strong partnerships with communities and families and kinship caregivers—
children’s first and most important teachers and advocates.
Increasing Access for All Children

Children of color with a disability face additional barriers to accessing inclusive early childhood programs
and services. Professionals are less likely to refer children of color, particularly Black children, for early
intervention and, if referred, are less likely to evaluate these children to determine their eligibility for
13
services. 90,91 Additionally, children of color are less likely to receive early intervention services if found
eligible. Data indicates that young children of color do not have the same levels of access to inclusive
preschool services as their white peers. 92,93 One promising approach to addressing these disparities is for
early intervention and special education systems to increase the diversity of the workforce to reflect the
communities served and provide PD on culturally and linguistically responsive practice. Examples of such
practices include supporting bilingual language development and dual language modes such as spoken and
signed languages. Disaggregated data on demographic characteristics—such as family primary language,
race and ethnicity, or income—can support programs to develop and implement data-informed strategies
to address differences in services among populations of children and families. Early childhood data
systems may require enhancements in order to collect that data.
14
THE PATH AHEAD: PARTNERING TO

BUILD A NATIONWIDE CULTURE OF INCLUSION
Addressing the challenges and barriers to inclusion and ensuring that all children with disabilities receive
the individualized supports they need to thrive in early childhood programs requires expansive
partnerships that bring families, advocates and self-advocates, early childhood programs and providers,
schools, LEAs, EIS providers, and community and State leaders together to build a culture of inclusion
rooted in its empirical and legal foundations. Communities across the country need to adopt and expand
on the work that has been underway in some communities for many years. In creating a culture of
inclusion, it is important for all partners to demonstrate and share their commitment to inclusive
practices for all children and their families by:
• Effectively communicating the importance of inclusion by:
 Strongly communicating inclusion as a shared responsibility and a top priority;
 Celebrating diversity of human experience in all its forms and facets of society;
 Communicating with neighbors, community members, and State and local leaders to
highlight the importance of inclusion and the universal benefits of inclusion for children
with and without disabilities; and
 Countering myths, misconceptions, and stereotypes about children with disabilities
and inclusion.
• Demonstrating a commitment to inclusion for all children with disabilities through policy changes
and appropriate resource allocation at all levels; and
• Co-creating inclusion strategic plans at the State, LEA, community, school and program levels,
and ensuring people with disabilities are included in the planning process.
A central tenet of an inclusive early childhood system is the commitment to ensure that each child’s
individual needs are supported appropriately, that each family’s goals for their children are considered,
and all have high expectations for each child. This tenet of quality applies to every child, including
dual language learners, immigrants (regardless of documentation status), refugees, migrants, and those
with special health care needs, living in poverty, experiencing homelessness, or in foster care. A culture of
inclusion sets the stage to implement the recommendations provided here and is the first step to
reaching the ultimate vision of providing access to and supporting full participation in high-quality inclusive
early learning opportunities for each and every child.
15
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATE ACTION

The recommendations for State action in this
policy statement expand upon the R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
recommendations in the 2015 policy
The State Indicators of the National Early Childhood
statement to include input from the field and
Inclusion Indicators Initiative detail the key early
align with the National Early Childhood
childhood infrastructure elements that need to be in
Inclusion Indicators Initiative. The National
place across State agencies and federal programs to
Early Childhood Inclusion Indicators Initiative
increase high-quality inclusion opportunities for
brought together partners from national early
young children with disabilities and their families.
childhood professional organizations and
associations, families, federally funded
technical assistance centers, and State and federal leaders to develop and disseminate indicators and
elements designed to improve and increase inclusive opportunities for young children.
1. Ensure a Cross-Sector State Leadership Team Implements a

Shared Vision for Inclusion
All State agencies that provide services to young children should take an active role in ensuring that
policies and resources support a coordinated, comprehensive early childhood system that provides
access to inclusive early learning opportunities for all children and is prepared to meet the individualized
needs of all children. A cross-sector State leadership team should develop a shared vision to expand
access to and participation in inclusive programs across sectors serving young children and their families.
The leadership team should include a broad representation of agencies, programs, and partners across
the State and, at a minimum, include diverse representatives from family networks, family support
organizations, IDEA Part B, section 619, IDEA Part C, Head Start and Early Head Start (such as Head
Start Collaboration Office Directors), child care (including the Child Care and Development Fund
(CCDF) Lead Agency), home visiting (including Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting
(MIECHV) programs), the SEA, LEAs, pediatric health care, Medicaid, mental health, child welfare,
provider organizations, institutions of higher education, and TA providers. The leadership team should
also leverage existing early childhood councils or taskforces, such as State Advisory Councils for Early
Care and Education, State Interagency Coordinating Councils, Special Education Advisory Panels, and
Developmental Disability Councils, to create or strengthen a focus on early childhood inclusion.
The leadership team should develop and implement a strategic plan that reflects the shared vision. The
plan should establish expectations for high-quality inclusive programs, including program standards that
define inclusion; identify solutions to overcome barriers to inclusion in the State; address disparities in
access across communities; and include recommendations for EIS providers, LEAs, schools, and early
childhood programs to implement the shared vision for inclusion. Specifically, the strategic plan should
include how the State will support TA to EIS providers, LEAs, schools, and early childhood programs to
establish partnerships to address challenges that create barriers to inclusion and lead to unequal access to
inclusive opportunities. The strategic plan should also build on existing early childhood efforts in the State,
16
including quality improvement efforts and efforts to expand access to high-quality early childhood
programs for all children. In developing the strategic plan, the leadership team should review and
coordinate existing State plans, such as CCDF State Plans, IDEA State Systemic Improvement Plans, x or
plans for specific grant programs (e.g., Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, Early
Childhood Comprehensive Systems grants) to ensure that early childhood inclusion and the necessary
services and supports for children with disabilities are consistently addressed across plans. The leadership
should also review previous and current early childhood inclusion efforts to ensure that lessons learned
are applied. To support the implementation of the shared vision, the strategic plan should include how the
leadership team will work with local inclusion teams to collect, analyze, and report qualitative and
quantitative data on a routine basis. The plan should include mechanisms for communicating progress in
meeting the shared vision to all sectors and partners, including families, within the State.
S TATE S POTLIGHT: I LLINOIS

Illinois has established a cross-sector leadership team to increase inclusive opportunities in their
State. They used the Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion to help guide their work. They adopted
an inclusion vision statement modeled after the federal joint position statement on inclusion. A
recent report, Strengthening Early Childhood Inclusion, includes recommendations to inform the
Governor's Office of Early Childhood's needs assessment and strategic planning process funded
through Preschool Development Grant Birth through 5 (PDG B-5). They also regularly collect
and use data to inform decisions. Their Community Inclusion Team Report showcases data on
programs that received TA, which shows how the number of children with disabilities receiving
their special education services in regular education settings has increased.
2. Ensure State Policies and Guidance Meet Federal Requirements and

Support Inclusion in High-Quality Programs
State policies and guidance set the direction for how communities, EIS providers, LEAs, schools, and early
childhood programs collaborate to implement inclusion and provide the necessary services and supports
for children with disabilities. States should review the policies and guidance across programs to ensure
that they are consistent with federal and State legal requirements. Specifically, States must ensure that
policies and guidance are clear that the first placement option IEP teams consider for each child with a
disability is the regular early childhood program the child would attend if they did not have a disability, as
required under Part B of the IDEA. They should also ensure that policies and guidance support early
intervention services being delivered in community settings where children without disabilities participate
as part of the natural environments provisions of Part C of the IDEA. Considerations when reviewing,
x The State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) is a reporting requirement for all States as part of their State Performance Plan/Annual Performance
Report under Part B or Part C of IDEA. The SSIP is a comprehensive multi-year plan developed by each State and is focused on improving results
for children with disabilities by measuring the State’s performance on measurable and rigorous targets in a State-identified area.
17
revising, and eliminating policies to ensure that they support the implementation of federal and State
requirements include the following:
• Ensuring that the same early childhood programs, services, and experiences that children without
disabilities have access to within a State or local community enroll children with disabilities.
 If State policy defines “preschool” as a minimum number of days and hours per week,
this same standard of preschool should hold for children with disabilities.
 The principle of natural proportions xi should guide the design of inclusive early childhood
programs and classrooms—that is, children with disabilities are included in early
childhood programs and classrooms in proportion to their presence in the community.
 State-funded early childhood programs should have explicit requirements for recruiting
and enrolling children with disabilities and require collaboration among early childhood
programs and schools to provide services and supports within those early
childhood programs.
 A mixed delivery system of public and private early childhood programs, including child
care programs, should be used to ensure that FAPE requirements are met.
• Ensuring that the provision of IDEA services for children with disabilities are in environments and
activities in which all children would typically participate so that children with disabilities can
remain in the early childhood program for the whole day and throughout the week with their
peers without disabilities.
 Transitions between service providers—such as schools and community-based early
childhood programs—should be minimized to lessen the burden on families, and
disruptions in service delivery and children’s developmental progress.
 Families should not have to choose between remaining in their existing early childhood
program and receiving early intervention or special education services after children are
identified with a disability.
States should also examine their policies and guidance across programs to ensure that those policies
and guidance remove, rather than create, barriers to inclusion, are informed by quality data, respond
to the unique needs of communities and populations of children served across the State, and promote
cross-agency collaboration at the State and local levels. States should also build on existing structures
to establish and sustain alignment and coordination across early learning systems and early childhood
health systems to improve outcomes for children with disabilities.
xi Application of this principle does not anticipate or permit imposing caps or quotas on the number of children with disabilities in a program or
not individualizing services for children with disabilities under the IDEA.
18
State-level memoranda of understanding can

be developed to promote inclusive policies R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
and practices and delineate the roles, The HHS and ED Policy Statement on Supporting the
responsibilities, and supports from all partners Alignment of Health and Early Learning Systems
to enable EIS providers, LEAs, schools, and provides policy and program recommendations to
community-based early childhood programs support States and communities in their efforts to
to work together to ensure inclusion of all better coordinate, align, and enhance health and
children with disabilities in high-quality early learning systems to promote the healthy
programs. The Departments have issued development, early learning, and well-being of all
guidance to support the development of children from birth to kindergarten entry.
effective memoranda of understanding to
support inclusion.
State and local policies, guidance, and procedures should:

• Promote a mixed delivery system of high-quality inclusive early learning opportunities through
partnerships between EIS providers, LEAs, schools, and community-based early
childhood programs.
• Reduce the creation and maintenance of parallel early childhood programs for children with
disabilities by:
 Promoting inclusive opportunities that may already be available within the community,
such as Early Head Start, Head Start or other high-quality early care and education
programs; and
 Expanding early learning initiatives within the State, such as State pre-kindergarten, to
increase the number of high-quality inclusive programs, and ensuring that these programs
have adequate funding and specific policies and procedures to recruit, enroll, and
appropriately support the learning and developmental needs of all young children with
disabilities regardless of the level of their service and support needs.
• Expand the availability of high-quality inclusive child care settings by using CCDF to fund
contracted slots for children with disabilities.
• Promote coordinated and culturally and linguistically responsive comprehensive services across
early childhood programs, including physical and mental health, home visiting, and other social
services—whether covered by Medicaid or other funding sources—so that all programs have the
infrastructure needed to best support children with disabilities and fulfill their legal obligations to
each child.
• Make explicit plans to meet the needs of underserved children and families that affirm the
diversity of their experiences; consider the specific intersections of poverty, race and ethnicity,
language, and disability; promote belonging; and support their ability to navigate the systems that
serve their children.
19
S TATE S POTLIGHT: K ENTUCKY & M INNESOTA

Kentucky's State-funded preschool program is available for all four-year-old children whose families
meet income eligibility requirements. Kentucky modified the eligibility requirements for its State-
funded preschool program for children with disabilities. The State-funded preschool program
serves all three and four-year-old children with disabilities, regardless of income, ensuring that a
high percentage of young children with disabilities are educated in inclusive environments.
Kentucky uses a mixed delivery system and has worked to support alignment, coordination, and
efficiencies across the system; provide meaningful community data; enhance early learning
experiences and data system improvements; improve engagement of families, caregivers, and
communities; and align and leverage existing resources to meet the needs of all children.
To support collaboration in serving children with disabilities, Minnesota developed a resource that
provides a cross-walk of individual and shared responsibilities for Head Start and LEAs in regard to
the identification, evaluation, service provision, and transitions for children with disabilities.
3. Engage Families as Essential Partners

The cross-sector State leadership team and
State early childhood agencies have a R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
responsibility to ensure that families—including
The HHS and ED Policy Statement on Family
grandfamilies and kinship caregivers, and court-
Engagement From the Early Years to the Early Grades
appointed educational decision makers—are
identifies principles of high-quality family
involved as essential partners in State and local
engagement and provides recommendations for
policy decisions and initiatives that facilitate
implementing family engagement practices across
inclusion. Families can offer critical expertise,
early childhood systems and programs on
experiential knowledge, and diverse
family engagement.
perspectives based on their engagement with
various agencies and early childhood systems
and services. States need to intentionally plan for and support the participation of families—particularly families
who currently have young children, families traditionally underserved by early intervention and special
education, and parents with disabilities—as essential partners in the development, implementation, and
evaluation of inclusion initiatives. State leadership teams should include members from family organizations
such as Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers. State leadership
teams should also allocate resources to family organizations to build the capacity of families to meaningfully
participate in State and local policy discussions, planning, and evaluation of the State’s inclusion plan. Resources
that support families to effectively participate include financial supports such as child care reimbursement and
stipends, flexible meeting times and formats, and accommodations for access such as American Sign Languge
and other language interpreters, and closed and real-time captioning. Additionally, States should work across
State and local agencies to ensure families have opportunities to take on leadership roles within their systems
and provide feedback on an ongoing basis. States can also demonstrate the importance of families as critical
20
partners by having a dissemination plan in place so that families regularly receive information and data in
family-friendly and accessible formats, and in families’ native langauges on what is included in the strategic plan
and the State’s progress in increasing inclusive opportunities.
4. Use Data to Guide Decisions for Continuous Quality Improvement

Guided by their vision on inclusion, States should use current State and local data to set concrete goals in
their strategic plans for expanding access to and participation in inclusive, high-quality early learning
opportunities. The goals should include specific indicators of quality for the planning and implementation
of inclusive programs. The National Early Childhood Inclusion Indicators Initiative developed indicators of
high-quality inclusion for different levels of a system that States can use in developing their strategic plans.
The strategic plan should not only lay out how the State will collect and use data to show progress
towards goals, but also how State early childhood agencies will support local programs in collecting and
using data to evaluate and improve how well children with disabilities and their families are accessing and
participating in inclusive early childhood programs. As States establish a baseline and set benchmarks to
track progress, they should ensure that children with disabilities across the State have access to inclusive
early childhood programs. This includes collecting data on the number of high-quality inclusive early
childhood slots available and the number of children under five with and without disabilities served in
those slots, and examining this data by disability, support needs, race and ethnicity, language, family
income level, and location in the State. States should not only track access to inclusive early childhood
programs, but also indicators that address the quality of participation by children with disabilities in
inclusive early childhood programs, through data on the provision of IDEA services and supports in
inclusive settings and measures of the quality of the environment for children with disabilities in these
programs. Additionally, States should examine data on children’s developmental and learning outcomes.
States should also ensure that they have a process in place to use data for continuous improvement so
that they modify implementation strategies or benchmarks as needed, and share data, in user-friendly and
accessible formats, with State and local partners, including families, to show progress in meeting the
State’s vision and strategic plan on inclusion.
5. Leverage Funding and Resources to Support Inclusion Across

Early Childhood Systems
Research has shown that inclusive early childhood programs are not necessarily more expensive than
separate early childhood programs, 94 yet many agencies and programs identify funding as a barrier to
inclusion and indicate that they do not know how to navigate various funding streams. As part of their
strategic plan, the State leadership team should review how existing funding and resources are allocated;
whether there are disparities in funding and resources across communities; how funds may be reallocated
to better support increased access and participation in inclusive early childhood programs; and how State
policies and guidance could facilitate the coordination of funding and resources across State and local
early childhood agencies. Finance mapping plans may help State early childhood agencies determine how
to most efficiently and effectively utilize funds and resources from different funding streams.
21
State agencies should examine regulations,

funding, and resources across multiple early R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
childhood programs—including IDEA, public Braiding Funding for Early Childhood Education is an
preschool, child care, Elementary and interactive tool developed to assist States and local
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I funds, communities in braiding or layering multiple federal
and Early Head Start and Head Start. In funding streams to increase the supply of quality
addition, State Medicaid agencies are early care and education and increase access to
important financing partners, and States have early childhood and family support services within a
options they can utilize to locate and enroll coordinated, comprehensive early
eligible children in Medicaid, such as Express childhood system.
Lane Eligibility (ELE). xii Medicaid funding for
early intervention services and related
services is available for children enrolled in Medicaid and eligible for the Early and Periodic Screening,
Diagnostic and Treatment benefit (EPSDT), 95 and schools can receive payment for
Medicaid-covered services.
The State strategic plan should include how

the State will provide TA and guidance to RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
communities, EIS providers, LEAs, schools,
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’
and early childhood programs on allocating
Medicaid guidance, Delivering Service in School-
funds and resources, and braiding and
Based Settings: A Comprehensive Guide to Medicaid
layering funds at the local level to support
Services and Administrative Claiming, details new
increased access to inclusive settings and
flexibilities and consolidates existing guidance, to
IDEA services in those settings that meet
improve the delivery of covered Medicaid and
the individualized learning and
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
developmental needs of children with
services to enrolled students in school-based
disabilities. The strategic plan should also
settings. In addition to the guidance, there is an
describe how the State will evaluate the
informational bulletin and fact sheet. Additionally,
effectiveness of the TA and guidance and
the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services’
examine differences in implementation
Informational Bulletin on Leveraging Medicaid, CHIP,
across communities or populations of
and Other Federal Programs in the Delivery of
children in the State. The State leadership
Behavioral Health Services for Children and Youth
team also should consider how to leverage
includes federal requirements on EPSDT and
funds across early childhood systems to
examples of ways that Medicaid and CHIP funding
enhance systems supports such as
can be used in the provision of high-quality
workforce PD and data systems. One
behavioral health services to children and youth.
strategy to leverage funding is the use of
xii
As many programs have the same means-based eligibility requirements, ELE provides States with important avenues to ensure that children
eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program have a fast and simplified process for having their eligibility determined or
renewed. ELE permits States to rely on findings, for things like income, household size, or other factors of eligibility from another program
designated as an express lane agency (ELA) to facilitate enrollment in health coverage. ELAs may include Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program, School Lunch, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Head Start, National School Lunch Program, and Women, Infants, and
Children among others. A State may also use information from state income tax data to identify children in families that might qualify and so
that families do not have to submit income information. Express Lane Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP Coverage | Medicaid.
22
ESEA Title II, Part A funds for supporting effective instruction to expand the competencies of public
school personnel in providing inclusive early childhood education and inviting other local early
childhood personnel to participate in PD. 96
6. Implement State Early Learning Guidelines and Statewide Initiatives

that Support Development and Learning for All Children
All States have early learning standards or
guidelines for developmental expectations. R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
The State leadership team should review their
HHS and ED Policy Statement on Expulsion and
State early learning guidelines to ensure that
Suspension Policies in Early Childhood Settings and
they include specific culturally and linguistically
Dear Colleague Letter on Supporting the Social-
responsive strategies and adaptations to
emotional Development and Mental Health of Young
support the learning and developmental needs
Children and ED Questions and Answers on Addressing
of all children with disabilities. Local early
the Needs of Children with Disabilities and IDEA’s
childhood programs should use the early
Discipline Provisions all provide guidance and
learning standards to guide curriculum and
resources to ensure that all children have access to a
instruction for children with disabilities, so
high-quality education provided in a safe, supportive,
they have the same access to the general early
and predictable learning environment, and that early
childhood curriculum as their peers without
childhood programs and schools implement positive,
disabilities. The State leadership team should
proactive approaches to support children’s social,
use the early learning standards to identify PD
emotional, and behavior development and mental
and TA and determine which statewide
health, and respond to children’s behavioral needs.
initiatives and practices to adopt to support
the learning and development of all children in
inclusive settings. For example, early childhood programs and providers indicate they need PD to
adequately support all children’s social-emotional competence and behavioral needs. As such, a lack of
program capacity to manage challenging behavior or social-emotional developmental delays is often
identified as a barrier to inclusion and may contribute to inappropriate use of discipline practices such as
expulsions and suspensions. 97 State leadership teams should plan for early childhood programs and
providers to have access to specialists who can build capacity in fostering young children’s social-
emotional and behavioral health. States should implement early childhood mental health consultation
(ECMHC) models xiii or positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) frameworks such as the
Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid
Model). xiv Studies show that practices like ECMHC and the Pyramid Model, both of which consist of staff
xiii Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) is a multi-level preventive intervention that teams mental health professionals with
people who work with young children and their families to improve their social-emotional and behavioral health and development.
ECMHC builds the capacity of providers and families to understand the powerful influence of their relationships and interactions on
young children’s development.
xiv The Pyramid Model is a tiered intervention framework for supporting social-emotional and behavioral development. The first tier includes
practices to promote nurturing and responsive caregiving relationships with the child and high-quality supportive environments. The second
23
capacity building paired with external specialized support, reduce and prevent expulsion and suspension
in early learning and school settings, reduce reports of teacher-rated challenging behaviors in young
children, and support the inclusion of children with disabilities. 98,99,100
S TATE S POTLIGHT: M ARYLAND

Maryland has made improving early childhood inclusion a State priority. The Early Childhood
State Inclusion Leadership Team, which includes the Developmental Disabilities Council,
facilitated discussions and collected extensive feedback about the necessary collaborations
needed among early childhood agencies and programs to promote partnerships and inclusive
practices, programs, and policies. Through this work, the State developed indicators of high-
quality, inclusive programs. Those indicators are used to assess programs and ongoing
collaboration efforts within the State. They used PDG B-5 funds to support implementation of
the Pyramid Model in four counties, knowing that behavioral challenges are often used by
programs as the reason that children are not included. Additionally, the Inclusion Leadership
Team worked closely with policymakers and other advocacy organizations to support the
development of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The Blueprint creates a new funding
structure for Maryland’s schools and includes the requirement that local school systems enroll
children with disabilities in public prekindergarten regardless of income.
7. Ensure Program Standards Support High-Quality Inclusion

State early childhood systems have standards
in place for measuring program quality to R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
promote children’s learning and development.
The Early Childhood Education Environment Inclusion
These may include standards on health and
Indicators Observation Tool is a technical assistance
safety, ratios and group sizes, the use of
tool designed to help programs use more inclusive
evidence-based curriculums and instructional
practices. The observation tool supports coaches
practices, developmental screening and
and providers who are knowledgeable and skilled in
assessment, cultural and linguistic
high-quality inclusive practices to build the capacity
responsiveness, and personnel qualifications
of providers to implement high-quality
and PD. Such standards may not fully address
inclusive practices.
the learning and developmental needs of all
children with disabilities, however. State
leadership teams should ensure that there are program standards in place that define inclusion, and that
they are used across early childhood programs at the local level to guide high-quality inclusion practices.
tier includes explicit instruction in social skills and emotional regulation for children who require more systematic and focused instruction. The
third tier is for children with persistent challenging behaviors that are not responsive to interventions at other tiers and involves implementing
a plan of intensive, individualized interventions.
24
States can use the indicators of high-quality inclusion for early care and education environments to inform
program standards. State quality rating frameworks should include these program standards and ensure
that the standards are applied at each level of a quality framework, as opposed to allowing standards
specific to the inclusion of children with disabilities to be optional or only applying standards on inclusion
at the highest level of a framework. In rating early childhood programs on standards of high-quality
inclusion, traditional environmental quality assessments may not be sufficient for assessing the quality of
the environment for children with disabilities. 101 States should supplement traditional environmental
assessments with tools that are designed to measure the quality of inclusion. Those tools should always
be part of the core assessment protocol of early childhood settings, not optional elements. States should
also incorporate inclusion standards in their child care licensing standards or in agreements they make
with providers who accept CCDF.
STATE SPOTLIGHT: VIRGINIA

Virginia has a supporting State law and regulations that govern placements for preschoolers with
disabilities as well as a State-developed guidance document, Virginia Guidelines for Early Childhood
Inclusion, to enable Virginia’s school divisions to develop and sustain inclusive early care and
education programs. The guidelines include information on the rationale, definition, legal basis, and
benefits of and common misconceptions about inclusion, as well as descriptions of inclusive contexts
and models for implementing inclusion, and information about funding models, including cost sharing.
Virginia provides videos (available on its inclusive practices resource page) of a variety of inclusive
settings throughout the State to support access, participation, and support.
8. Strengthen Accountability Systems and Build Structures to

Support Inclusive Models
State leadership teams should enhance their accountability systems to monitor and address barriers to
inclusion across early childhood programs. IDEA has specific monitoring requirements to ensure that EIS
providers and LEAs meet IDEA requirements. IDEA Part C State lead agencies should examine how IFSP
teams make decisions on providing early intervention services in community-based natural environments,
and specifically review how EIS providers are working with child care and Early Head Start programs to
support young children’s participation in daily routines and activities by delivering services in these
programs. Additionally, SEAs are required to monitor LEAs on how children with disabilities receive FAPE
in the LRE. SEAs should examine LEAs’ policies and procedures to identify any systemic biases in
placements by the LEAs that undermine children with disabilities being served in the least restrictive,
highest quality settings. SEAs should also review the IEP process in local communities to ensure that the
practices IEP teams use provide families of eligible children with all their options in the continuum of
services and supports, and support decisions that are both individualized and consistent with LRE
requirements. Additionally, SEAs should have LEAs document how they meet requirements to provide
services in the LRE through partnerships and formal agreements with early childhood programs in the
25
community. As State lead agencies and SEAs monitor how local programs implement IDEA requirements,
they should ensure that family input is part of the monitoring process by collecting information from
families on how they were informed of their rights under the IDEA, how service decisions and placement
options were discussed with them, and their satisfaction with the process and the support they received
to navigate it. States should also examine disaggregated data to determine whether there are groups
within the State that have less access to services in the natural environment or in the LRE. In addition to
IDEA programs, other State early childhood agencies should have specific monitoring processes in place
to ensure that programs meet federal or State requirements on enrolling and serving children with
disabilities in inclusive settings and Section 504 and the ADA requirements.
The State leadership team should include activities within their strategic plan to build high-quality
inclusive early learning models. Activities could include: publicly recognizing systems that have developed
partnerships across sectors and programs to implement high-quality inclusive programs; using tiered
reimbursement in their quality rating and improvement systems for programs that demonstrate high-
quality inclusion; providing child care subsidy payment differentials per child with a disability included in a
general early childhood program; offering grant and contract opportunities for programs to strategically
plan for inclusion; offering trainings on children with disabilities and inclusion for continuing education
credit; providing tuition assistance for credit bearing courses on inclusion; and offering TA to programs to
implement inclusive practices.
9. Build a Coordinated Early Childhood Workforce System

An effective, well-prepared, well-compensated, and multilingual, racially and ethnically diverse early
childhood workforce is a key component of expanding access to high-quality inclusive early childhood
programs. Staff shortages—further impacted by the global pandemic—persist across all sectors of the
early care and education field, in large part due to low wages. The strategic plan should identify different
levers in the system to support the recruitment, preparation, and retention of the early childhood
workforce across programs and settings. The State leadership team should ensure that their strategic
plan has ongoing, coordinated, and differentiated cross-sector efforts so that inclusion is meaningfully
addressed, and that these efforts include paraprofessionals and aides, center-based and family child care
providers, teachers, IDEA providers, directors and principals, and other leaders. State leadership teams
should specifically address the following:
• Establish Structures to Support Recruitment, Retention, Compensation, and

Advancement of Educators and Providers
In a comprehensive approach to support the early childhood workforce, the State leadership
team should establish or enhance structures and policies to attract and retain personnel, advance
career pathways, improve compensation, and improve workplace supports.
To bring new personnel into the field and to increase the diversity of the workforce, the State
leadership team should explore coordinated recruitment efforts and innovative models that
promote career advancement and alternative pathways. Grow-your-own programs can bring
racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity to early childhood programs and schools by
26
recruiting and preparing educators from within communities to become certificated educators
and providers. Other models include practice-based learning such as registered apprenticeships
and mentoring programs that leads toward a credential or degree. States should ensure that
there are pathways for providers across early care and education sectors to attain additional
credentials, degrees, and expertise, such as supporting articulation agreements between degree
programs in early childhood and early childhood special education programs, offering credit for
prior learning and experience, and providing more accessible coursework and academic
supports. Additionally, loan forgiveness and scholarship support can attract new personnel to
enter the early childhood field.
The State leadership team should

explore federal funding options that RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
address shortages of personnel and
HHS and ED both have webpages with resources on
partner with institutions of higher
building a system that attracts, prepares, supports,
education (IHEs) to apply for funding.
and retains a qualified, diverse early childhood
The Office of Special Education
workforce, including an early intervention and
Programs has an annual grant
special education workforce, across settings and
program to award grants to IHEs to
programs that serves all children and families.
increase the number of early
intervention, special education, and
related service providers to serve
young children with disabilities and their families—including multilingual personnel and personnel
from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. They also administer the State Personnel
Development Grant program, which support SEAs, who can partner with State lead agencies for
Part C, in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and PD of individuals
providing early intervention, educational, and transition services. The State leadership team
should examine policies and initiatives across early childhood settings and schools that impact
compensation, such as wage ladders and parity in pay and benefits (e.g., paid leave, health
insurance, and retirement benefits). Additionally, the State leadership team should include
strategies to increase staff wellness by putting in structures such as guaranteed breaks during the
work day, mental health consultation, and peer support networks to improve the
working environment.
• Build a Common Knowledge and Competency Base Across Child-Serving Providers
The National Academies of Science report, Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through
Eight, recommends that all service providers who work with young children have a common
knowledge and competency base. The strategic plan should include opportunities and supports,
such as paid time-off, for the early care and education workforce to build and enhance their
knowledge of child development and learning, the importance of consistent and nurturing
relationships, and the biological and environmental factors that influence development. Providers
should also have opportunities to attain competencies in engaging children in high-quality
interactions, promoting social-emotional development and mitigating challenging behaviors,
implementing trauma-informed and culturally and linguistically responsive practices, recognizing
27
signs that children may need additional assessments and services, and using various tools and
techniques to promote learning. States should foster opportunities for early childhood personnel
to collaborate and consult with one another in inclusive early childhood settings. States should
also ensure that their efforts to build a common base of evidence-based practices—in
partnership with training programs and IHEs—include considerations for children with
disabilities, with specific attention to children who need more intensive service and supports and
children who are typically underserved, including dual language learners, those whose families live
in poverty, and those from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
S TATE S POTLIGHT: M ARYLAND

In Maryland, a 6-module training for child care professionals titled Learning the Basics: Strength-
Based Training on Developmental Disabilities — Abilities Network shares how to support children
with developmental disabilities. The modules are now part of the State’s licensed training series.
As a result, more children with disabilities will get the support they need to learn, play, and grow
in child care programs alongside their peers without disabilities.
• Ensure that State Certifications, Credentials, and Workforce Preparation Programs

Have a Strong Focus on Inclusion and Supporting Children with Disabilities
All early childhood personnel need to be prepared to support children with disabilities and
differentiate interventions, instruction, and supports for children based on their individual needs.
Doing so may require those personnel collaborate and team with professionals with specialized
training as appropriate. States should ensure that personnel standards, credentials, certifications,
and licensure requirements for general early childhood personnel, including directors or
principals, educators and providers, and paraprofessionals or aides, include competencies for
working with children with disabilities and their families in inclusive settings. States should ensure
their personnel standards reflect the standards of national professional organizations and contain
core knowledge and skills needed for working with young children and their families in cross-
sector early childhood systems. They should work with IHEs to align programs of study to the
State personnel standards and to criteria for licensure, certifications, and credentials. Additionally,
States should partner with IHEs—community colleges and 4-year institutions—and other training
entities to ensure that early childhood preparation certificate and degree programs weave
throughout the entire curriculum—including coursework and practicum experience—specific
pedagogy for children with disabilities, childhood assessment and instruction in inclusive settings,
and collaborating and teaming, rather than in a small number of supplemental courses or a
separate program. The State leadership team should encourage interdisciplinary preparation
among education and related services preparation programs and ensure that there are personnel
preparation programs within the State to prepare specialists to work with young children with
disabilities, including infants and toddlers and those with significant service and support needs
such as children with sensory disabilities. Additionally, States should consider supporting dual
28
certification preparation programs, which certify graduates to work in both early childhood and
early childhood special education, thereby enhancing the competencies of the early childhood
workforce to individualize instruction and supports for all children in inclusive early
childhood programs.
S TATE S POTLIGHT: N ORTH C AROLINA

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill implements the SCRIPT-NC project, which works
with community colleges in North Carolina to assess, enhance, and redesign courses to better
prepare preservice early childhood educators to meet the needs of all children in their
communities, including children with disabilities and children who are culturally and linguistically
diverse and their families. The focus is on incorporating evidence-based practices into the
program, courses, and syllabi.
• Ensure Personnel Policies Facilitate Inclusion
States should ensure that their policies allow programs led by early childhood educators and
providers to serve children with disabilities. However, since many early childhood educators and
providers do not have specialized disability certifications, they should provide instruction in
consultation with and under the supervision of professionals with specialized training and
certifications—such as occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language
pathologists or other related services providers; teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing;
teachers of the blind and visually impaired; orientation and mobility specialists; behavioral
specialists or early childhood mental health consultants; child care health consultants, early
childhood special educators; and early interventionists. States should consider promoting co-
teaching models where specialists and educators or providers work jointly with children in
inclusive settings, and coaching and mentoring to support educators and providers in developing
their competencies to include children with disabilities. They should also provide guidance and
TA on personnel and staffing policies to assist early childhood programs in navigating personnel
issues on inclusive service delivery, such as requirements for collaborative planning time for early
childhood, early intervention, and early childhood special education personnel, and supervision of
LEA general education personnel providing services in home-based and community settings.
• Offer Collaborative PD and TA
States should ensure that existing early childhood PD and TA efforts always consider and address all
children with disabilities. States should supplement existing PD and TA efforts to ensure that
professionals working with young children can access information and obtain TA in evidence-based
inclusion practices. State leadership teams should identify and coordinate funding streams and resources
for PD and TA efforts and ensure that there are policies and guidance in place to build the capacity of
local early childhood programs to use cross-sector and cross-discipline PD and TA opportunities.
29
S TATE S POTLIGHT: M ICHIGAN

Michigan has developed a birth-to-age-5 cross-program training for providers from child care,
Head Start, State PreK and other general education programs, as well as EIS providers from Part C
and providers from Part B section 619, to improve the skills of the entire early childhood work
force in understanding early intervention and special education and how to work with families and
help them locate resources.
COLLABORATIVE PD AND TA ACTIONS

State leaderships teams should consider the following actions:
• Develop and implement a cross-sector and cross-discipline PD and TA plan for all educators,
providers, and specialists working with young children, based on an assessment of the workforce’s
strengths and concerns.
• Establish a group of inclusion experts that provide ongoing PD and TA opportunities across early
childhood systems to support the learning and development of children with disabilities.
• Ensure that PD is tied to specific competencies, is sequential, supports continuing education
requirements, and covers a wide range of topics, with a focus on how the content and practice
apply to children with disabilities.
• Provide incentives to local programs to engage in PD.
• Use ESEA Title II, Part A funds for supporting effective instruction to build capacity in providing
inclusive high-quality early education. Encourage community-based educators and providers to join
PD with school-based personnel.
• Establish a method for local programs—regardless of geographic region—to request specialized
support on inclusion, for example, through statewide hotlines, consultation models, mentoring, or
coaching networks.
• Develop community hubs and educators and provider networks where participants can learn from
each. other how to implement evidence-based practices.
• Expand access to specialists, including inclusion coaches, behavioral or mental health consultants,
and related services providers with the goal of providing universal access to specialists across early
childhood programs in the State.
• Identify and highlight programs that are exemplars of inclusion so that State and local leaders and
educators and providers can see how inclusion can be successfully implemented.
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10. Raise Public Awareness

The State leadership team should plan for and implement a unified and ongoing cross-sector public
awareness plan to shift attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of inclusion and expectations for children
with disabilities. States should partner with community leaders and families to develop strategies and
messages that reach key audiences to communicate the benefits of early childhood inclusion, affirm
the laws and research that provide the foundation for inclusion, and set the expectation that the
community is responsible for ensuring that all children have access to high-quality inclusive early
childhood programs and the individualized supports they need to fully participate in those programs.
State leaders should acknowledge the need for additional high-quality early childhood programs for
all children to increase the opportunities for inclusive experiences for children with disabilities. Key
audiences and partners should include staff and leaders from early childhood programs and schools;
parents and families of children with and without disabilities; specialized service providers; pediatric
healthcare professionals; philanthropic, business, and other private sector partners; faith-based
organizations; elected officials, and other relevant community leaders.
S TATE S POTLIGHT: I LLINOIS

Illinois used PDG B-5 funds to take documents and initiatives related to inclusion that had been
developed over the years, and create a one-page infographic that communicates the State’s key
areas of work around inclusion: public outreach; supports to community-based organizations to
support inclusion; guidance, incentives, and accountability to support school districts; and
guidance, incentives, and accountability to support early intervention. Illinois also developed a
public awareness campaign that uses social media to promote an understanding of the value of
inclusion and the numerous resources available for families to help them make informed choices
and for practitioners to help them support children with disabilities. Additionally, the State used
social media to promote an online Understanding Inclusion Training Series designed for both
families and professionals. It is also using its Quality Rating and Improvement System process to
identify and provide intensive support to programs that want to improve their capacity to
provide high-quality inclusion. The State’s PD opportunities have been developed collaboratively
across systems and with families, drawing on the best available evidence of what constitutes
effective PD.
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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LOCAL ACTION

With the support of States and federal
resources, and with the engagement of R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
families and community organizations, leaders
The Community and Local Indicators of the National
in LEAs, schools, EIS providers, and early
Early Childhood Inclusion Indicators Initiative detail the
childhood programs can increase and enhance
key elements that are necessary for promoting high-
high-quality early learning experiences for all
quality inclusive policies, procedures, and practices
young children. Leaders within communities
at a community and local program level.
can adopt a culture of inclusion, set
expectations for programs across early
childhood systems to work together to provide inclusive settings and practices, establish policies that
meet the unique needs of the populations in their community, allocate existing and devote additional
resources in ways that facilitate increased access to inclusive early childhood programs, and prioritize
workforce development. The following recommendations can guide local and community leaders to
work together to champion a culture of inclusion and build high-quality inclusive programs and
opportunities. As with the State recommendations, the recommendations for local action were refined
and enhanced to better align with the indicators and elements the cross-sector efforts of the National
Early Childhood Inclusion Indicators Initiative developed.
1. Establish an Inclusion Leadership Team and Vision for Inclusion

Improving access to and participation in high-quality inclusive early childhood programs is facilitated when
cross-sector early childhood administrators, LEA and school administrators, IDEA program
administrators, program staff, family members, and community partners come together to develop and
commit to a vision of inclusion and use this vision to develop and implement policies and procedures that
support inclusion across a mixed-delivery system. The inclusion leadership team should develop an action
plan with goals and objectives to increase the number and quality of inclusive early childhood programs,
ensure that all populations of children and areas in the community have access to high-quality inclusive
early childhood programs, ensure evidence-based practices support children’s full participation in daily
routines and learning activities, and support the provision of IDEA services in children’s general early
childhood programs. The inclusion leadership team should also identify partners, strategies, and data
sources needed to implement and evaluate progress towards meeting the goals on the action plan.
Inclusion leadership teams build awareness of and commitment to high-quality inclusive opportunities at
the local and community levels by clearly communicating the benefits of inclusion for all children and
families as well as highlighting and celebrating exemplars of inclusion within the community.
32
S TATE S POTLIGHT: O REGON

Oregon uses the Indicators of Early Childhood Inclusion and the Oregon Department of Education
(ODE) Equity Stance to guide implementation work at the State and local levels in Oregon. The
Community Inclusion Teams (CITs) consist of family members, program implementation coaches,
early intervention and early childhood special education providers, community partners, and early
educational agency partners. The CITs have implemented action plans based on both the
Community and Local Program Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion that guide and support the
availability of high-quality inclusive early childhood programs throughout the community. Oregon’s
Implementation Programs (IPs) and Demonstration Sites support programs in implementing the
Early Care and Education Environment Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion. IP Leadership Teams
meet monthly and work to build capacity to implement community action plans, change practices,
and enhance policies and procedures to maximize access, participation, supports and outcomes for
children with disabilities. The IPs will be used to examine the effectiveness of the inclusion
indicators and provide a model for replication. CITs across the State meet to identify solutions and
share data. All CITs reported improvements to their systems, and significant improvement on the
Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion. Following community implementation, the State has examined
its educational environments data and seen signs of progress. As an example, one Oregon county
increased the number of preschool children with disabilities receiving services in regular education
settings by 9.54 percent between the 2018-2019 and 2020-2021 school years. See more in the
press release and story featured on OPB, and website for Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion.
2. Develop Formal Collaborations with Community Partners

Formal agreements and strong collaboration
are critical for establishing a mixed delivery R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
system where all children have access to
The Guidance on Creating an Effective Memorandum of
inclusive early learning opportunities in a
Understanding to Support High-Quality Inclusive Early
range of settings across their community, such
Childhood Systems provides an overview of factors to
as in child care programs (including family
consider when developing, implementing, and
child care and home-based programs), public
sustaining memoranda of understanding at the State
and private preschool, and Head Start. The
level to create a coordinated approach to service
inclusion leadership team should prioritize
delivery to improve outcomes for young children
supporting programs in establishing formal
who are at risk for or have a developmental delay
agreements to fulfill IDEA requirements such
or disability.
as those related to child find, eligibility
determinations, the natural environment, and
LRE. In addition to IDEA, other federal early childhood programs have statutory requirements to serve
children with disabilities. EIS providers and LEAs are expected to collaborate with early childhood
33
programs to meet these requirements and the inclusion leadership team should ensure that there are
formal agreements that address these early childhood program requirements. EIS providers and LEAs
should recognize the expertise of early childhood program leaders and seek collaboration to meet shared
goals of inclusive early childhood programs across a range of settings. For example, Head Start and Early
Head Start programs are required to establish collaborative partnerships with community organizations,
which may include individuals and agencies that provide services to children with disabilities. 102 Formal
agreements between Head Start and EIS providers and LEAs are important to ensure that Early Head
Start and Head Start programs can meet their requirements to serve children with disabilities in their
programs and to ensure that children receive Part C and Part B services in Early Head Start and Head
Start programs. Further, the CCDBG requires States to describe how they will coordinate services
provided under CCDF with agencies providing services to children with disabilities in their care. 103
Formal agreements can support the provision of IDEA Part C and Part B services in child care settings,
including consultative support to child care providers to meet the CCDF requirements. Formal
agreements should also include how programs will work together to share resources; braid or layer
funding; collect, share, and analyze data with parent consent (if needed under applicable IDEA privacy
provisions); and support joint PD.
In addition, young children with disabilities and their families often require services that may be delivered
by providers outside of their early childhood programs. Formal collaborations between public and private
community partners—such as health systems, home visiting programs, pediatric medical homes, and
developmental specialists—may improve screening, evaluation, referral systems, and data sharing, and
may help ensure that children who need additional supports receive them as soon as possible. In
developing formal collaborations with community partners, the inclusion leaderships team should build on
and support existing coordinating bodies that strengthen the coordination of health and early learning
systems, including Health Resources and Services Administration’s Early Childhood Comprehensive
Systems Impact grants, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Early
Childhood Mental Health Programs. Formal partnerships may also facilitate the use of wrap-around
services, a philosophy of care that involves providing intensive coordinated community-based services
designed to meet children’s specific social-emotional and behavioral health needs.
LOCAL S POTLIGHT: O KLAHOMA

Within Oklahoma, the Community Action Project (CAP) of Tulsa County, which is the Head Start
grantee, collaborates with the Tulsa Public Schools, Union Public Schools, and Sand Springs Public
Schools Community Action Project of Tulsa County to provide services to children with disabilities
in the Head Start program. Services to children with disabilities are provided in part by district
personnel, as required in each child’s IEP. Children remain enrolled at the early childhood centers
with their typically developing peers. CAP’s teachers receive training and TA to support each child
in meeting their IEP goals. CAP’s Disability Coordinators are also available to assist classroom
teachers, in partnership with the districts’ IDEA providers.
34
3. Support Family Engagement and Partnerships

Families are young children’s first and most important teachers and advocates. The inclusion leadership
team, schools, and early childhood programs should intentionally plan and assess how they are partnering
with all families—including families of color, families whose primary language is not English, and parents
with disabilities—to expand inclusive practices in the home and community settings. 104 This includes
involving families in policy development, advocacy efforts, program improvement processes, and public
information initiatives, including forums and conferences on inclusion. It is important to ensure that all
families are knowledgeable about the benefits of inclusion, understand their rights, and learn how to
navigate the systems that serve their children. Schools, early childhood programs, and other community
partners could support families by connecting them to the parent training and information center in their
State, and community parent resource center in their area, in addition to providing specific resources on
inclusion in early childhood programs, and the individualized supports and services and continuum of
placement options available to meet their child’s unique needs.
This information should be available and

accessible to all families, including parents R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
with disabilities and those with limited English
Parent Training and Information Centers and
proficiency. xv Schools and early childhood
Community Parent Resource Centers work with
programs should support families’ capacity to
families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with
advocate for their children’s access to early
disabilities to help families understand their rights
childhood programs in their community and
under the IDEA and participate fully in their
having services provided in the early
children’s development, learning, and education.
childhood program. Teachers and providers
They also partner with professionals and policy
should regularly engage with families and have
makers to improve outcomes for all children with
ongoing conversations with families on their
disabilities and their families.
children’s learning and development, share
information on developmental screening and
child assessment, ask for their perspectives on their children’s strengths and needs, and, as needed,
connect them to additional services and supports, such as family to family health resource centers or
specialized service providers. The Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework
can serve as a useful roadmap to establish and enhance family engagement. 105
The inclusion leadership team, schools and early childhood programs should also plan for how they will
build and enhance staff’s capacity to engage and build partnerships with families, including providing PD
to teachers and providers on forming strong goal-oriented relationships with families that are linked to
their child’s development, learning, and wellness and respecting and incorporating families’ cultures,
preferences, and priorities into children’s learning. They should also ensure administrative, custodial, and
xv
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including its implementing regulations, requires school districts to ensure meaningful communication
with parents who have limited English proficiency (LEP) in a language they can understand and to adequately notify parents who have LEP of
information about any program, service, or activity of a school district that is called to the attention of parents who are proficient in English.
A description of these obligations is available in Section J of joint guidance released by the U.S. Department of Education and the
U.S. Department of Justice, Dear Colleague Letter: English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents (Jan. 7, 2015),
available at www.ed.gov/ocr/letters/colleague-el-201501.pdf..
35
other support staff understand the program’s culture of inclusion and interact with families respectfully
and compassionately.
4. Ensure Policies and Procedures Support the Provision of Services in

Inclusive Settings
The inclusion leadership team, schools, and early childhood programs should have cross-cutting and
program-specific policies and procedures on inclusion that reflect the community’s vision for inclusion,
support the use of evidence-based inclusive practices, support coordinated service delivery among
programs, and comply with the requirements of IDEA and other federal policies and guidance regarding
services to children with disabilities and their families. The IDEA requires that IFSP and IEP teams, which
includes parents, make service and setting decisions for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities
based on their individual needs. The decisions these teams make determine if services and supports will
be provided in inclusive early childhood settings. LEAs, schools, and EIS providers should specifically
review their IFSP and IEP processes and procedures to ensure that natural environments and inclusive
settings are meaningfully discussed for each child, and that the first options considered for infants,
toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities are those that would be considered for children without
disabilities. Where appropriate for the individual needs of a child with a disability, IFSP and IEP teams
should write goals and outcomes that can be met with the provision of services and supports in inclusive
settings. For example, IFSP teams can develop a process to discuss the provision of early intervention
services in child care settings as a community-based natural environment, in order to support families in
accessing and keeping child care and to child care providers in meeting the individualized needs of
children in their care. As another example, if a child in Head Start is identified with a disability and found
eligible under the IDEA as a child with a disability the IDEA requires that the first consideration should be
that their special education services will be provided in their Head Start program. Policies and procedures
should be clear that families should not be given an “either/or” option, such that they must choose
between Head Start or special education services. Additionally, policies and procedures should encourage
the involvement on IFSP and IEP teams—with parental permission—of early childhood educators and
providers, including child care providers, child development specialists, and related services providers.
IEP teams are required to include at least one general education teacher if the child is, or may be,
participating in the general education environment. In addition, policies and procedures should be in place
to ensure that educators and providers have access to a child’s IFSP and IEP, and understand the child’s
goals, strategies to meet those goals, their role, and the roles of early intervention providers, early
childhood special educators, and related services providers in helping children reach their goals.
Educators and providers should also understand how to access specialized services and supports
as needed.
36
S TATE S POTLIGHT: C OLORADO

Colorado has recently updated its guidance document for making LRE placement decisions. This
guidance document, Making Least Restrictive Environment Placement Decisions for Preschool
Children, Ages 3 through 5, is designed to assist IEP teams in understanding early childhood
educational environments and their relationship to appropriate LRE decisions for preschoolers
with disabilities. Colorado also developed Indicators of Quality Inclusion in Early Childhood to
enhance the quality inclusive early childhood programs.
5. Review and Adjust Resource Allocations

To implement inclusion, early childhood programs and schools rely on multiple funding streams at the
federal, State, and local levels. To effectively use these funding streams, the inclusion leadership team as
well as early childhood programs, schools, EIS providers, LEAs, local Part C administration and state
CCDF lead agencies should engage in collaborative fiscal planning to identify how to braid and layer
funding and allocate the resources to effectively support inclusive early childhood programs.
In many cases, LEAs, schools, or early

childhood programs use most of their funding R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
for children with disabilities on separate
The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
classrooms for children with disabilities,
has an inclusion finance toolkit to help programs
undermining opportunities to serve children in
better understand the financial requirements and
the most inclusive settings. The leadership
responsibilities necessary to create inclusive
inclusion team as well as early childhood,
placement options.
school, LEA, EIS and State CCDF agency
administrators should specifically examine the
ways they allocate funds within and across programs that serve children with disabilities and adjust
resource allocations to promote inclusion by reflecting on the following questions.
37
RESOURCE ALLOCATION QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

• How could we use IDEA Parts B and C funds to provide services in inclusive programs or
natural environments with typically developing peers to the maximum extent appropriate, in
accordance with the provisions of the IDEA?
• How can we use ESEA Title I, Part A funds to support the inclusion of children with disabilities
in school-based settings and Title II, Part A funds to expand the competencies of public school
personnel in providing inclusive early childhood education and inviting other local early
childhood personnel to participate in the training?
• How could we as LEAs, EIS providers, and schools allocate funds and formalize partnerships
with community-based early childhood programs, including child care, to establish a mixed
delivery system, where children with disabilities can receive inclusive early learning
opportunities in different settings across the community?
• How could we as LEAs, EIS providers, and schools review and adjust our funding allocations
and decisions to ensure that all areas in the community and all populations of children with
disabilities have access to inclusive programs?
• How could our programs use resources to target the use of evidence-based practices to
improve child outcomes?
• How could we change resource allocations to support early childhood special educators to
shift from full time teachers in segregated settings to providing consultative services to general
early childhood educators and providers?
• How could we allocate resources to support early intervention, early childhood special
education, related services providers, and other specialized providers in providing consultative
services to early childhood educators, providers, and staff?
• How could we allocate resources to optimize the distribution of specialized providers, materials,
and equipment across early childhood programs to provide ECE personnel with adequate
instructional support and resources to serve all children, including children with disabilities?
• How could we use PD resources to expand access to training and coaching, specific to
supporting all children with disabilities, to all staff across early childhood programs? Are there
opportunities to expand access to staff from other early childhood programs and partner with
other programs to share training?
38
6. Establish an Appropriate Staffing Structure and

Strengthen Staff Collaboration
Establishing appropriate staffing structures and increasing staff collaboration to support inclusion may
require programs to shift existing resources and work across early childhood systems, especially given
that many regions continue to experience staffing challenges in early childhood, early intervention, and
early childhood special education. The inclusion leadership team as well as early childhood programs,
schools, and LEAs need to jointly examine their personnel policies and current staffing structures to
support the delivery of early intervention, special education, and related services within daily routines and
learning activities with peers and allow time for collaborative teaming among early childhood educators,
providers, and specialized service personnel. Collaborative service delivery models can enhance the
reach of specialized service providers and allow them to serve more children more effectively. A staffing
model that supports inclusion in an early childhood program involves specialists—like early
interventionists, early childhood special educators, early childhood mental health consultants, and related
services providers—coming into the early childhood program to provide services to children with
disabilities and consult with the lead educator or provider and paraprofessional or aide. This consultation
involves partnering with educators, providers, and paraprofessionals to observe, model, and share
strategies for supporting children’s development and learning in an inclusive setting. Programs should also
consider implementing co-teaching models where specialists and educators or providers work jointly
with children in inclusive settings. Programs should pay close attention to children’s support needs when
making decisions about staffing structures. Children with the most support needs should have access to
highly trained personnel with specialized expertise and not have to rely mostly on paraprofessionals for
instructional support.
S TATE S POTLIGHT: V IRGINIA

Virginia models for inclusion include the Individual Teacher Model in which one licensed, dually
endorsed teacher works with the entire class, and the Co-Teacher Model in which a PreK teacher
and an early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher share responsibility and combine their
expertise to meet the needs of all children in the classroom. The ECSE teacher may be in the
classroom for all or some of the school day. For example, a Virginia Preschool Initiative classroom
of 18 preschoolers includes six children with IEPs, with an ECSE teacher and a PreK teacher both
supporting the classroom all day with one paraprofessional assigned to the classroom.
Programs and schools should also have structures in place to support teams of early childhood educators,
providers, and specialized service personnel to come together to oversee children’s goals, coordinate
services, connect children and families with additional services as needed, and help families navigate
services for their children. For inclusion to be effective, it is critical to allocate staff time for coordination
and collaboration between the professionals who work with young children. This facilitates
comprehensive coordinated services, enables staff to understand their roles and responsibilities and the
39
roles and responsibilities of others to facilitate children’s learning and development. As programs, schools,
and LEAs examine the staffing structures and policies across their systems and communities, they should
identify exemplars of collaborative teaming as models and ensure that there are no disparities across the
community in how staffing structures and policies facilitate access to inclusive opportunities and
collaboration. Additionally, TA can encourage collaboration and problem-solving among personnel from
early childhood programs, schools, and LEA, and can also support early childhood educators and
providers in increasing the quality of early learning experiences and care for all children while supporting
children with disabilities. TA services should be coordinated so that everyone is aware of the goals
developed through the TA, strategies for meeting the goals, and progress towards them.
S TATE S POTLIGHT: R HODE I SLAND

Rhode Island’s State 619 coordinator and a Head Start executive director partnered to address a
need to serve children with IEPs in Head Start and pre-K classrooms in Woonsocket using an
itinerant model. This approach promotes collaboration and coordination between the classroom
teacher and the special education teacher. As a result, Head Start teachers learned new skills from
the itinerant special education teachers being in the classroom and children received services
throughout the week by the teacher or the special education staff. In turn, the district provided
Head Start with two classrooms in one of their schools because they wanted to learn about
Head Start’s comprehensive services model as well as enhance family engagement.
7. Ensure Access to Specialized Supports

To support the use of evidence-based inclusion practices, the inclusion leadership team, early childhood
programs, schools, and EIS providers, LEAs should work collaboratively to identify and provide early
childhood educators and providers with access to State and local TA and consultative services delivered
by experts like early interventionists, inclusion specialists, early childhood mental health consultants,
behavior consultants, early childhood special educators, developmental specialists, teachers of the deaf
and hard of hearing, teachers of the blind or visually impaired, orientation and mobility specialists, and
related services providers. These specialized supports should be culturally and linguistically responsive to
meet the diverse needs of early childhood educators and providers and the children and families they
serve. Consultative specialists can collaborate with early childhood educators and providers to adapt the
program’s environment, activities, and instructional supports to promote full participation of all children
with disabilities; develop strategies to meet children’s IFSP and IEP goals; implement behavior support
plans for children who require them; and connect children, families, and staff to additional support
services, as needed.
40
LOCAL S POTLIGHT: F LORIDA

Eckerd Youth Alternatives in Hillsborough County, Florida, used its Early Head Start-Child Care
Partnership grant to work with a local family child care (FCC) provider to serve a 6-month-old
infant born with a disability and his family. To support the infant’s development and learning, the
Early Head Start staff and FCC provider worked together to plan for and implement
accommodations to the FCC environment to address the child’s physical needs, choosing
appropriate furniture, toys, learning materials, and outside play equipment to meet his needs and
those of all five children in the FCC. The Early Head Start program supported the FCC care
provider to learn how to use the new equipment most effectively and how to integrate these
opportunities throughout the day. The child’s physical therapist provided services at the FCC,
modeling how to support the child’s development within daily activities.
8. Enhance Supports for the Workforce

The personnel who work in early childhood systems and programs should be well-compensated and
supported so that they can gain competence and confidence in implementing evidence-based inclusion
practices and an understanding of the science of inclusion, which in turn will lead to personnel holding
high expectations for children with disabilities and therefore fostering their development, learning, and
sense of belonging. A critical component of enhancing workforce capacity at all levels is promoting early
childhood educator and provider health and wellness and ensuring that staff at all levels are compensated
fairly and work reasonable hours with breaks. The inclusion leadership team should facilitate strong
relationships with community-based service providers to offer staff benefits and other supports, including
health and mental health supports. As part of strategic planning efforts, inclusion team leaders should
promote staff wellness efforts that can reduce job stress and strengthen providers’ capacity to form
strong and nurturing relationships with children and families.
The inclusion leadership team should also work across early childhood programs and school systems,
and with IHEs and the State leadership team to ensure that the necessary infrastructures and supports
are in place to provide preparation and ongoing, shared PD for all staff—including LEA administrators,
early childhood program directors, school principals, family child care providers, early childhood
educators and providers, early interventionists, early childhood special educators, related services
providers, other specialized providers, and aides—to support the full participation of children with
disabilities in early childhood programs. The ongoing PD should include opportunities for practice-
based coaching and mentoring, to support the use of evidence-based inclusion practices with fidelity.
Programs with dedicated PD funds such as LEAs, EIS providers, and Head Start programs should
promote shared PD and ensure that PD on evidence-based inclusion practices is open to local early
childhood partners from child care and family child care settings, in addition to their own staff.
41
• LEA Administrators, Early Childhood Directors, Principals, and Family Child Care
Network Leaders are critical to high-quality inclusive early childhood programs and schools.
These leaders establish priorities, policies and procedures; set the culture and climate of the
district, school, program or network; oversee staff development and morale; provide continuity
when staff turnover occurs; and take an active role in shifting perceptions of inclusion through
public awareness within the community. Beyond local leadership teams, key system leaders
should establish local learning communities with other local early childhood and school leaders to
share lessons learned, brainstorm challenges, and collaborate on solutions. Leaders should also
establish policies that require all staff to engage in PD specific to adopting a culture of inclusion
and supporting the individualized learning and developmental needs of children with disabilities.
They should also ensure that staff have specific time set aside for in-service training, practice-
based coaching and mentoring, and to engage in reflection, planning, problem-solving, and peer
learning on issues related to inclusion. Leaders should participate in regular PD opportunities
that include:
 Putting structures in place to support the implementation of evidence-based
inclusion practices;
 Implementing program-wide multi-tiered systems of support, such as the Pyramid
Model, a framework for positive behavior intervention and support;
 Establishing a culture that is inclusive of all children and families;
 Enacting strong polices for inclusion;
 Building collaborative relationships and formal agreements of understanding; and
 Budgeting and resource allocation strategies that support inclusion.
• Early Childhood Educators and Providers are essential to ensure that all children are afforded
high-quality early learning experiences and nurturing caregiving and early learning environments.
Supported by specialists and their LEA, school, or program leaders, EIS providers, early
childhood educators and providers should possess the competencies to meet the developmental
and learning needs of all children, including their social-emotional development and mental
health. Through intentional preparation, PD, and coaching and mentoring supports, such as
through consultation provided by infant and early childhood mental health consultants, early
childhood educators and providers can effectively serve all children’s individual needs.
The Early Childhood Education Environment Indicators offer key elements that are necessary for
implementing high-quality inclusive practices in early childhood settings and can guide PD.
Professional development opportunities offered to early childhood staff should always include
how the content applies to and can be individualized for children with disabilities. LEAs, schools,
and early childhood programs should strive to support their workforce and strengthen their
capacity in:
 Implementing individualized instructional strategies that build on children’s strengths and
interests to reach developmental and learning goals for all children;
42
 Understanding universal
design and the principles of
R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
universal design for learning The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the
(UDL); xvi implementation of UDL. These guidelines offer a set
 Using accessible materials and of concrete suggestions that can be applied to
making adaptations, ensure that all learners can access and participate in
accommodations, and meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
modifications to instruction Additionally, the IRIS Center has a module on
and within activities—such as implementing the principles of UDL.
center-based play, learning
groups, outdoor play, or snack time—to fully support the participation of all children;
 Integrating IFSP and IEP goals into children’s learning across everyday routines and
learning activities;
 Implementing Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices, which
provide guidance to practitioners and families about how to promote children’s
development and improve learning outcomes; 106
 Promoting language development and language acquisition, including sign language and
native language development for bilingual children;
 Promoting social-emotional and behavioral development and mental health, by
promoting behavioral screening and referral, implementing positive behavior supports
and trauma-informed practices facilitating social learning opportunities and peer-
mediated interventions between children with disabilities and their peers, and addressing
challenging behaviors and mental health needs appropriately;
 Forming strong, supportive, nurturing relationships with and among children and
their families;
 Documenting and sharing developmental progress with families and other service providers;
 Conducting ongoing developmental monitoring, universal developmental and behavioral
screenings at recommended ages, and any needed follow-up;
 Engaging in collaborative partnerships with early interventionists, early childhood special
educators, related services providers, infant and early childhood mental health
consultants, and other specialized providers;
 Coordinating with community-based service providers, including local disability support
agencies, children’s medical homes, health providers, and home visiting programs;
xvi Universal design is the philosophy of developing and designing physical environments to be accessible to the greatest extent possible, to the people
who use them, without the need for adaptation. Universal design for learning is an educational framework based on the learning sciences, which
informs the design and development of flexible instructional practices, materials, and tools that address the variability of all learners.
43
 Promoting the health and well-being of children, including understanding the needs of
children with special health care needs and providing documentation in medical action plans;
 Having a strong understanding of cultural diversity and competencies in culturally and
linguistically responsive practice, and in employing self-reflective strategies to assess
interactions with children and families; and
 Supporting successful transitions from infant and toddler programs to preschools, and
from preschools to kindergarten.
• Early Interventionists, Early Childhood Special Educators, and Related Services Personnel
play a unique role in supporting young children’s access to and full participation in inclusive early
childhood programs. Because the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of personnel has the
potential to positively affect all children’s development and learning, inclusion leadership teams
should implement preparation, recruitment, and retention strategies that support a well-trained,
effective, and diverse workforce that provides services to children with disabilities and their
families. Early interventionists, early childhood special educators, related services providers, and
other specialized providers should be given opportunities to build their competencies on how to
co-teach, coach early childhood teachers, work within interdisciplinary teams, and implement
evidence-based inclusion practices across early childhood settings and within everyday routines.
Through intentional preparation, PD,

and coaching and mentoring supports, R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
they can move past a focus on working
The Early Childhood Personnel Center Curriculum
with children in separate settings or
Modules on Professional Standards are designed for
pulling children out of their early
IHE faculty and PD providers to facilitate the
childhood settings for specialized
integration of the Initial Practice-Based Professional
interventions and instruction. Ongoing
Preparation Standards for Early
PD with early childhood educators and
Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators
providers should include specialized
into courses and PD opportunities.
service providers. Professional
development should be aligned to the
DEC early interventionist and early childhood special educator personnel standards.
In addition to having strong competencies in providing intervention and instructional support to
children with disabilities, leaders should ensure that these professionals have the capacity to:
 Implement inclusive practices;
 Understand the goals, curricula, and approaches used in the early childhood program;
 Build culturally and linguistically responsive relationships and partnerships with early
childhood educators, other providers, and families;
 Use evidence-based consultation and coaching models, both in-person and remotely;
44
 Share knowledge and expertise with families and early childhood educators and
providers to enhance their confidence, competence, and capacity to support the overall
development, learning, and inclusion of all children;
 Co-teach in an early childhood program; and
 Build trusting relationships with families and work with them to identify inclusive options
in the community and appropriate services and supports based on the unique needs of
their child.
S TATE S POTLIGHT: D ELAWARE

Delaware has created an Early Childhood Inclusion Guide that identifies recommendations for
implementing effective inclusion of young children with disabilities into early learning programs.
The document is divided into five sections: (1) Principles and Policies, (2) Strategies for Working
with Families, (3) Accommodations, Modifications, and Supports, (4) When You Are Concerned
About a Child’s Development, and (5) Inclusion Resources and Supports. State and local
administrators use the document to structure PD to ensure best practices are embedded in their
inclusive early learning programs.
LOCAL S POTLIGHT: C OLORADO

Wiggins, Colorado, is a rural community in the eastern portion of the State that provides special
education with a mixed service delivery model across State-funded preschool, community child care
and family home child care. Professional development has been delivered in cross-sector trainings for
all partners who serve children in the community. Additionally, coaching is provided by a trained
community coach to implement inclusive practices from the Early Childhood Education Environment
Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion. Providers across sectors who serve children with disabilities are
creating a video library of high-quality inclusive practices in order to implement an ongoing community
of practice. Community child care leaders have created a monthly newsletter featuring:
(1) administrator supports for high-quality inclusion, (2) provider training and opportunities for
coaching, and (3) other local TA focused on early childhood inclusion.
45
9. Assess and Improve the Quality of Inclusion in Early Childhood

Programs through Data Collection and Use
Improving access to and participation in high-
quality inclusive early childhood programs R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
requires a clear understanding of what
The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems
programs are available and where children
has developed and compiled a number of resources,
receive supports and services. Data at the
including federal guidance, on practices and policy
local level can support decision-making and
regarding the privacy and confidentiality of early
quality improvement efforts related to
childhood data.
inclusion practices, child and family
experiences, and the program and classroom
environment. The inclusion leadership team should collaborate with early childhood programs, schools,
and EIS providers, LEAs, and State agencies administering early childhood programs (e.g., CCDF) to
provide guidance and information on suggested measures and procedures to identify data that may be
helpful to review and to guide data collection and its use as well as ensuring privacy and confidentiality of
the data. Early childhood programs may need to develop written agreements that permit data sharing
and identify relevant data.
This should include measures and procedures for formative assessments that monitor children’s progress
in meeting their developmental and learning goals in inclusive settings. Programs should pair assessments
of children’s progress with environmental assessments of their early childhood classrooms, child care
settings, and home-based programs to ensure there are appropriate accommodations and supports for
children’s access and participation to enable them to reach their goals. To ensure full participation in
activities and routines and improve outcomes for children with disabilities, programs should also examine
their use of curricula, universal design for learning, and the fidelity with which educators and providers
implement evidence-based inclusion practices. In addition to collecting and using data to make decisions
and improve the quality of learning environments for children with disabilities, programs should assess
families’ sense of belonging, engagement and satisfaction with the program and services, and perceptions
of inclusion. Leaders should also examine the data to identify if there are any disparities among children’s
outcomes and families’ experiences based on disability, level of support need, race and ethnicity, language,
or income level. Additionally, programs should collect ongoing data on educators’ and providers’
perceptions of inclusion, their placement decisions within IFSP and IEP meetings, feelings of competence
and confidence in including children with disabilities and their families, and their satisfaction with the
support they receive from administrators. Programs can use results of all assessments to guide TA and
PD efforts to further enhance inclusion practices.
46
LOCAL S POTLIGHT: M ICHIGAN

The Bay-Arenac Intermediate School District (ISD) in Michigan has been working to improve high-
quality inclusive opportunities for all children. The Assistant Director of Early Childhood Education
and her staff oversaw the process of creating a vision statement, included in their Early Childhood
handbook, to guide the work. Bay-Arenac ISD seeks to provide care and education for the
youngest members of their community, children, and to support the efforts of families with young
children in creating happy lifelong learners. They have specifically focused on decreasing the
number of children enrolled in separate early childhood special education classrooms, reducing the
number from 11 classrooms district-wide to four. To support this work, Bay-Arenac ISD created a
position for a Preschool Inclusion and Equity Specialists (PIES) and hired two people who provide
practice-based coaching on evidence-based inclusion practices. They have also created and hired a
support staff person for this effort. The PIES work with the State prekindergarten program and
use monthly coaching collaborative meetings to coordinate the supports provided to teachers.
They use the Inclusion Classroom Profile as a foundation of their coaching and also use the
Inclusion Classroom Profile as a yearly assessment to monitor the quality of their inclusive early
preschool programs. The district also shares the PIES with their elementary programs to support
alignment between inclusive practices in preschool programs and the early elementary grades.
10. Support the Transition into the Early Elementary School Grades
A smooth and successful transition to
kindergarten relates directly to children’s R ESOURCE S POTLIGHT
academic and social success in the early
The Head Start Early Childhood Knowledge and
elementary school grades. The inclusion
Learning Center has a number of resources that
leadership team, early childhood programs,
provide practical strategies that educators can
schools, and the LEA should partner to
implement during the key components of the
develop a community transition plan to
transition process. In addition, the Early Childhood
support seamless transitions from early
Technical Assistance Center has a practice brief on
childhood programs and services to the early
supporting the transition of children with disabilities
elementary school grades for children with
into kindergarten.
disabilities. A commitment to inclusion across
all systems should serve as the foundation of
the transition plan. Continuity of services and supports for children with disabilities can only be achieved
when families, leaders, and educators across settings work together to share information, create
alignment between systems, and develop shared policies, procedures, and practices. The inclusion
leadership team should support the development of formal agreements between early childhood
programs, schools, and LEAs. These agreements should include how the systems and programs will
engage in joint evidence-based transition practices; promote planning time between early childhood
educators and kindergarten teachers; share information on the child’s strengths, and the
47
accommodations, special education and related services needed; share child data and records, including
IEPs; and engage in joint PD to improve transitions. The transition plan should also identify how systems
and programs will support families in understanding their rights and how to prepare for their child’s
transition, and how they will support families' adjustment once their children enter kindergarten. LEAs
should have procedures in place for IEP teams to support children’s transition into inclusive kindergarten
environments. These procedures should include how to plan for transition in the IEP; a decision-making
framework on whether IEP teams will develop and implement a single IEP that will transition with the
child into kindergarten or develop a preschool IEP and later assemble the school-age IEP team to develop
a subsequent school-age IEP for the child’s kindergarten year; and how to ensure that special education
and related services are not interrupted in the preschool to kindergarten transition.
48
CONCLUSION
Equal opportunity is one of America’s most cherished ideals. Being fully included as a member of society
is the first step to equal opportunities throughout life and is every person’s right—a right supported by
our laws. As the country continues to move forward on the critical task of expanding access to high-
quality early childhood programs for all young children, it is imperative that children with disabilities be
included at the onset of each of these efforts so they can have equal opportunities to benefit fully from
these experiences. Inclusion supports children with disabilities in reaching their full potential. By building
the foundations for learning needed to succeed in school, inclusion helps children with disabilities be as
productive as possible as adults, increasing their employment and earnings, and lead healthier lives.
We must strengthen our early childhood system and address barriers to inclusion of children with
disabilities in order to achieve the vision that all young children with disabilities have access to high-quality
inclusive early childhood programs that provide individualized and appropriate support so they can fully
participate alongside their peers without disabilities, meet high expectations, and achieve their full
potential. We must have shared responsibility and commitment and robust collaboration among all levels
of the system to achieve this vision. All early childhood programs and services, including public and
private preschool, center, and family-based child care, Head Start, home visiting and IDEA programs—in
partnership with public education systems, State CCDF and other State-level early childhood program
leaders, families, and communities—play an important role in building a nationwide culture of inclusion
for all children with disabilities and their families. By striving toward this vision and implementing these
recommendations, we can move forward as a country in honoring the rights of all our youngest children
and living up to the American ideal of equal opportunity for all.
49
RESOURCES TO SUPPORT INCLUSION

Icons Key
Family Educator/Provider Legal State/Policymaker Health
FEDERAL POLICY RESOURCES

Department of Education
U.S. Department of Education, Dear Colleague Letter on Implementation of IDEA Discipline Provisions
and Questions and Answers: Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and IDEA’s Discipline
Provisions (Jul. 19, 2022)
This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) and Q&A addresses disparities in the use
of discipline for children with disabilities and the implementation of IDEA’s
discipline provisions. This guidance supports SEAs’ and LEAs' efforts to fulfill
their obligations to appropriately meet the needs of children with
disabilities.
U.S. Department of Education, Supporting Students and Avoiding the Discriminatory Use of Discipline
under Section 504 and accompanying Fact Sheet (Jul. 19, 2022)
This guidance and accompanying fact sheet describes schools’ responsibilities under
Section 504 to ensure nondiscrimination against students based on disability when
imposing student discipline. Specifically, the guidance explains how compliance with
Section 504’s requirement to provide a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities can
assist schools in effectively supporting and responding to behavior that is based on a student’s disability
and that could lead to student discipline.
50
U.S. Department of Education, Updated Dear Colleague Letter on Preschool Least Restrictive
Environments (Jan. 9, 2017)
This DCL reaffirms the Department’s position that all young children with
disabilities should have access to inclusive high-quality early childhood
programs where they are provided with individualized and appropriate
supports to enable them to meet high expectations. The DCL reviews the variety of preschool placement
options in which a FAPE could be provided and provides updated guidance on LRE.
U.S. Department of Education, OSEP Memorandum 16-07 Multi-Tier System of Supports and Preschool
Services (Apr. 29, 2016)
This memorandum affirms that a Response to Intervention process cannot be used
to delay or deny an evaluation for preschool special education services under
the IDEA.
U.S. Department of Education, Non-Regulatory Guidance Early Learning in the Every Student Succeeds
Act: Expanding Opportunities to Support our Youngest Learners (October 2016)
This guidance provides SEAs and LEAs with information to assist them in meeting their
obligations under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It outlines how ESEA
can support early childhood education, including supporting young children with disabilities.
U.S. Department of Education, Understanding the Confidentiality Requirements Applicable to IDEA

Early Childhood Programs (October 2016)
This guidance helps early childhood programs understand the requirements of IDEA
and FERPA and identifies options for data sharing to support young children
with disabilities.
Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dear Colleague
Letter on IDEA Services in Head Start (Oct. 2, 2022).
This DCL affirms that State and local educational agencies and Head Start
programs have responsibilities for implementing IDEA to ensure that
children with disabilities enrolled in Head Start programs receive a FAPE in
the LRE.
51
U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Dear Colleague Letter on Social Emotional Development and Mental Health (June 14, 2022)
This DCL provides recommendations to State, territorial, tribal, and local
policymakers and administrators of systems, agencies, and programs
responsible for young children’s health and well-being, social-emotional
development, and early learning.
Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Delivering Service in School-Based Settings:
A Comprehensive Guide to Medicaid Services and Administrative Claiming (May 18, 2023)
This guidance details new flexibilities and consolidates existing guidance to
improve the delivery of covered Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance
Program services to enrolled students in school-based settings. In addition
to the guidance, there is an informational bulletin.
Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice, Commonly Asked Questions about Child Care Centers and the ADA
(Feb. 28, 2020).
This document provides answers to common questions about how the
Americans with Disabilities Act applies to child care centers.
U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice, Dear Colleague Letter on
English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents (Jan. 7, 2015)
This joint guidance is designed to assist SEAs, school districts, and all public
schools in meeting their legal obligations to ensure that English Learners can
participate meaningfully and equally in educational programs and services.
52
Federally Funded Resources and National Centers to Support Inclusion
Department of Education
Office of Special Education Programs
The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy)

DaSy assists States to collect, report, and analyze high-quality Part C and Part B
Section 619 data by helping States build a strong data infrastructure, use data for
program improvement and accountability, and develop leaders to build a data culture
with active partner engagement. DaSy has resources on using data to examine inclusion of children with
disabilities across early childhood programs.
Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)

CPIR serves as a central resource for parent centers that serve families of children
with disabilities. The site includes a list of all parent centers in States, which provide
information and training to families of children with disabilities on their rights under
IDEA and other relevant laws and ways to participate effectively in their child’s
education and development.
Early Childhood Intervention Personnel Center for Equity (ECIPCE)

ECIPCE works to increase the capacity of institutions of higher education and
professional organizations and associations to prepare a racially, ethnically, culturally,
and linguistically diverse generation of professionals who can advance equity in early
childhood intervention.
Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC)

ECPC assists States in building and implementing comprehensive systems of
personnel development in early childhood, for all personnel serving young children
with disabilities and their families. Resources include curriculum modules, a video
library of practices in early intervention and special education, and crosswalks of national
personnel standards.
53
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)

The ECTA Center supports State IDEA Part C and Part B, section 619
programs in developing more equitable, effective, and sustainable State and
local systems, that support access and full participation for each and every
young child with a disability and their family. Resources to support implementation of high-quality
inclusion include topic pages on evidence-based practices, family engagement, and inclusion. There are
also resources on making least restrictive environment decisions and exemplars of inclusion at the State
and local levels. Contact information for IDEA State Part C and Part B agencies is available on
the website.
IDEA Data Center (IDC)

IDC works with States to improve IDEA data collection and reporting and supports
States as they analyze and use data to make programmatic improvements. IDC has
resources on reporting preschool educational environment data and using the data
for program improvement.
IRIS Center
The IRIS Center develops and disseminates online resources about evidence-based
instructional and behavioral practices to support the education of all children, particularly
those with disabilities. Resources are designed for faculty, PD providers, or independent
learners and describe evidence-based instructional and intervention practices. Resources include
instructional modules on a variety of topics, including inclusive early childhood programs, inclusive school
environments, and accommodations.
National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (AEM Center)

The AEM Centers provides technical assistance, coaching, and resources to increase
the availability and use of accessible educational materials and technologies for
learners with disabilities across the lifespan. The AEM Center has resources
that describe how agencies, programs, and services can work together to improve the accessibility of
early learning environments for children with disabilities.
National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB)

NCDB works with State deaf-blind projects and other partners to improve
educational results and quality of life for children who are deaf-blind and
their families.
54
National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations

NCPMI assists States and programs in their implementation of sustainable systems
for the implementation of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional
Competence in Infants and Young Children within early intervention and early
childhood programs with a focus on promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young
children birth to five, reducing the use of inappropriate discipline practices, promoting family
engagement, using data for decision-making, integrating early childhood and infant mental health
consultation and fostering inclusion. Resources include training modules, training kits, videos, practical
strategies, and research syntheses.
National Center on Inclusion Toward Rightful Presence

This national center assists SEAs and LEAs to successfully implement and sustain
evidence-based inclusive practices and policies that support students who currently
participate in alternate assessments in K-12 education.
STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education Center (STEMIE)

STEMIE focuses on developing and enhancing the knowledge base on engagement in
STEM learning opportunities for young children with disabilities and implement
technical assistance and PD to increase engagement for young children with
disabilities in STEM opportunities. STEMIE has an inclusion framework to ensure young children with
disabilities can fully participate and engage in STEM learning opportunities and experiences.
TIES Center
TIES is a national technical assistance center on inclusive practices and policies that
supports the movement of students with disabilities from less inclusive to more
inclusive environments. Resources include learning modules, tip sheets, and planning
tools, including an inclusive education road map.
55
Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Community Living
ADA National Network

The ADA National Network provides information, guidance, and training
on how to implement the ADA. The network consists of 10 Regional ADA
Centers located throughout the United States and an ADA Knowledge
Translation Center which provides technical assistance about Titles II and III of the ADA and Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act. The Network has resources on the implementation of disability laws in
public schools.
Community of Practice for Supporting Families of Individuals with Intellectual &

Developmental Disabilities
The Community of Practice for Supporting Families of Individuals with Intellectual &
Developmental Disabilities exists to enhance and drive policy, practice, and system
transformation to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities within the
context of their families and communities. States work to develop systems of support for families
throughout the lifespan of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, and
receive technical assistance, products, opportunities for shared learning, and support from a
National Team to integrate innovative practices into existing and ongoing state systems change efforts.
LifeCourse Nexus Training and Technical Assistance Center

LifeCourse Nexus is a community of learning that brings people together to work towards
transformational change within organizations, systems, and communities to support “good
lives for all people.” The Charting the Life Course Framework was developed by families to
help individuals with disabilities and families of all abilities and all ages develop a vision for a good life,
think about what they need to know and do, identify how to find or develop supports, and discover what
it takes to live the lives they want to live. The LifeCourse Nexus provides workshops and technical
assistance to shape and support innovation in policy, practice, procedure, and culture.
State Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As)

P&As work at the State level to protect individuals with disabilities by empowering
them and advocating on their behalf. There are 57 P&As in the United States and its
territories that provide advocacy and legal services on education issues and work to
ensure that students receive an appropriate education in an inclusive setting.
56
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Learn the Signs. Act Early. (LTSAE)

LTSAE has resources for tracking children’s developmental milestones from birth
through age five and referring to children if there are concerns about a child’s
development. Act Early Ambassadors expand the reach of the LTSAE program and
support their respective State’s work toward improving early identification of developmental delays and
disabilities, including autism.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
School-Based Services Technical Assistance Center (TAC)

The TAC will assist and expand the capacity of State Medicaid agencies, LEAs, and
school-based entities to provide greater assistance under Medicaid to ensure children
have the health services and supports necessary to build resilience and thrive.
Health Resources and Services Administration
Early Childhood Systems Programming

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) invests in a portfolio of
Early Childhood Systems programs and partnerships to support States and
communities, health and other service systems, and service providers to work
effectively and efficiently as a team in support of families with young children.
Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2Fs)

F2Fs provide support and information to families of children with special health care needs
(CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them. A map is available that lists the F2Fs and
affiliate organizations in States, territories, and those serving tribal communities that connect
parents of CYSHCN.
National Center for a System of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
The National Center works to advance and strengthen the system of services for
CYSHCN, their families and caregivers at the community, State, and national levels.
57
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC)
The NRC maintains a database of national health and safety standards for early care
and education settings (CFOC), including Caring for Our Children with Special Health
Care Needs, and standards related to inclusion, medication administration, health
coordination, and care-plans.
National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home

National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home focuses on
improving the health and well-being of, and strengthening the system of services for,
children and youth with special health care needs and their families by enhancing the
patient/family-centered medical home.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (IACC)

The IACC’s Federal Agency Resources on Autism page includes a list of federal departments and
agencies that provide funding, programs, and support for issues related to autism and other
developmental disabilities.
Office of Child Care
National Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN)

The CCTAN brings together resources from the Office of Child Care, the Office of
Head Start, and their health partners to offer Child Care Development Fund
Administrators and their partners information, tools, trainings, and other supports.
The network includes resources on inclusive environments and building relationships with families
including Infant/Toddler Resource Guide, a topic page on Creating Inclusive Environments and Learning
Experiences for Infants and Toddlers (available in English and Spanish), a resource guide for Developing
Integrated Strategies to Support the Social and Emotional Wellness of Children, and a Learning Suite to
support States, territories, and Tribes in their efforts to strengthen the professional competence and
capacity of Infant/Toddler specialists, consultants, mentors, coaches, and caregivers. CCTAN also includes
a brief on Child Care Health Consultation: Investing in Health and Early Learning Systems to Improve
Child Outcomes.
58
National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (NCECQA)

NCECQA supports State and community leaders and their partners in the planning
and implementation of rigorous approaches to quality in all early care and education
settings for children from birth to school age. NCECQA has a fact sheet on Children
with Special Needs and Inclusion Practices in QRIS, and briefs on Increasing Access to Inclusive
Environments and Inclusion of Young Children with Disabilities: A Critical Quality Indicator for Early
Childhood Education.
National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth to Five (PDG B-5 TA)
The PDG B-5 TA supports States, territories, and Tribes in building, enhancing, and
expanding birth through 5 mixed delivery systems and high-quality B-5 programs and
services. The Center provides technical assistance through a variety of formats
including a national convening, peer learning opportunities, workshops, webinars, toolkits, resource
documents and individual consultations. The Center has a webpage that houses resources on
Including Children with Special Needs.
Office of Early Childhood Development
Early Childhood Behavioral Health Initiative

This initiative includes resources to support parents and caregivers, early care and
education program staff and administrators, as well as State, territory and Tribal
leaders and programs to advance the integration of behavioral health support
services for children and early childhood programs.
Office of Head Start
Head Start Early Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)

ECLKC includes resources that describe Head Start and Early Head Start regulatory
requirements, and resources from the Office of Head Start’s funded national centers.
The Children With Disabilities Resources webpage includes webinars, practice briefs,
interactive learning modules, training modules and resources, and supports for a variety of learning
environments. The Family Advocacy Resources webpage includes resources for families as well as
resources for Head Start family services staff in helping families learn about their rights and their child’s
rights, communicate concerns, ask questions, and serve as their child’s advocate throughout the early
intervention and special education journey.
59
National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (NCEDTL)

NCECDTL advances best practices in the identification, development, and promotion of the
implementation of evidence-based child development and teaching and learning practices that
are culturally and linguistically responsive and lead to positive child outcomes across early
childhood programs. They also support strong PD systems.
National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety (NCHBHS)

NCHBHS designs evidence-based resources and delivers innovative training and technical
assistance to build the capacity of Head Start and other early childhood programs to support
children’s healthy development and school success; promote the safety of children, families,
and staff; provide inclusive, culturally and linguistically responsive services; address disaster preparedness,
response, and recovery; mitigate adversity through trauma-informed care; and advance health equity by
improving child and family well-being.
National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (NCPFE)

NCPFCE provides training and technical assistance for Head Start and Early Head Start staff
who work with families, and PD in the areas of staff-family relationship building; family
employment, career pathways, and financial stability; equity and inclusiveness in family
engagement; and parent leadership, advocacy, and transitions.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center of Excellence for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC)
IECMHC provides technical assistance to programs, communities, States, territories,
and tribal communities, and PD to individual mental health consultants to increase
access to high-quality mental health consultation throughout the country. Resources
and technical assistance are available for mental health consultants, program managers, and policymakers.
National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC)

NFSTAC focuses on supporting families and caregivers of children, regardless of their age,
who experience serious mental illness or substance use challenges. NFSTAC provides training
and technical assistance using a lifespan approach that focuses on mental health and substance
use and addiction challenges.
60
Associations and Organizations with Resources to Support Inclusion
American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Children with Disabilities (COCWD)

COCWD is community comprised of physicians and others who care for or have an
interest in children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs. They
have a number of policy statements and reports to improve the health of children
with disabilities and special health care needs including, A Blueprint for Change: Guiding Principles for a
System of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs and Their Families and Bright
Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents/AAP
Periodicity Schedule.
Child Care Aware (CCA)

CCA is a research and advocacy group that houses a child care search engine to help
families find child care. CCA has also provided information about health and safety,
curriculum, and developmentally appropriate practices in early care and
education settings.
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

CEC is a membership-based organization that works to improve the educational
success of children and youth with disabilities and gifts and talents.
Division for Early Childhood (DEC)

DEC is an international membership organization within CEC for those who work
with or on behalf of young children with disabilities and other special needs and their
families. DEC supports policies and advances evidence-based practices that support
families and enhance the optimal development of young children who have or are at risk for
developmental delays and disabilities. Resources for faculty and other PD providers to use in work with
practitioners include training modules and associated resources designed to promote practitioners’
abilities to make evidence-based decisions.
Easter Seals
Easter Seals provides services, education, outreach, and advocacy so that people living with
disabilities can live, learn, work, and play in our communities. Easter Seals ABCs of Choosing
Child Care is a list of questions to help families research child care facilities. Easter Seals also
has a free, confidential online screening tool: Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3) This
screening tool helps families guide and keep track of their children’s growth and development during the
first five years.
61
Help Me Grow (HMG) National Center

HMG National Center serves as a national resource to support the implementation
of Help Me Grow systems throughout the country. HMG assists States in identifying
at-risk children, and helps families find community-based programs and services.
HMG is a system for improving access to existing resources and services for young children from birth to
age eight. The website has Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! resources to promote universal developmental
and behavioral screening.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

NAEYC is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-
quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early
childhood practice, policy, and research. They have the Early Childhood Workforce
Initiative to support state PD systems and the Power to the Profession, a national collaboration that
defines the early childhood education profession. NAEYC and DEC have a Joint Position Statement on
Early Childhood Inclusion and NAEYC has a number of resources on inclusion.
ZERO TO THREE (ZTT)

ZTT is a membership organization that works to ensure babies and
toddlers benefit from the family and community connections critical to their
well-being and development. ZTT develops practical resources that help
parents connect more positively, deeply, and continuously with their babies; provides professionals with
knowledge and tools that help them support healthy early development; and assists policymakers in
advancing comprehensive and coherent policies that support and strengthen families, caregivers, and
infant toddler professionals.
62
Introduction
This booklet is for parents, caregivers,
and representatives of children younger
than age 18 who have disabilities
that may make them eligible for
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
payments. It is also for adults with
disabilities since childhood (prior to
age 22) who might be entitled to Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
benefits. We call this SSDI benefit a
“child’s” benefit because it’s paid on a
parent’s Social Security earnings record.
This booklet will help you decide if you,
your child, or a child you know may be
eligible for SSI or SSDI.
Supplemental Security Income

payments for children with
disabilities
SSI provides monthly payments
to people with limited income and
resources who are 65 or older, or blind,
or have a disability. Children younger
than age 18 are eligible if they have
a medical condition or combination of
conditions that meets Social Security’s
definition of disability. Their income and
resources must fall within the eligibility
limits. The amount of the SSI payment
differs from state to state because
some states add to the SSI payment.
Your local Social Security office can tell
you more about your state’s total SSI
payment.
1
SSI rules about income
and resources
We consider a child’s income and
resources when deciding if they are
eligible for SSI. We also consider the
income and resources of family members
living in the child’s household. These
rules apply if your child lives at home.
They also apply if your child is away at
school but returns home from time to
time and is subject to your control.
Your child’s income and resources, or the
income and resources of family members
living in the child’s household, may
exceed the amount allowed. If so, we
will deny the child’s application for SSI
payments.
We limit the monthly SSI payment to $30
when children are in a medical facility
and health insurance pays for their care.
SSI rules about disability
Your child must meet all the following
disability requirements to be considered
medically eligible for SSI:
• The child, if not blind, must not be
working or earning more than $1,550
a month in 2024. The child, if blind,
must not be working or earning more
than $2,590. This amount usually
changes every year.
• The child must have a medical
condition or a combination of
conditions, that results in “marked and
severe functional limitations.” This
2
means that the condition(s) must very
seriously limit the child’s activities.
• The child’s condition(s) must have been
disabling or be expected to be disabling
for at least 12 months; or the condition(s)
must be expected to result in death.
Providing information about your
child’s condition
When you apply for SSI payments for
your child based on a disability, we will
ask you for detailed information about
the child’s medical condition. We will
ask about how it affects the child’s
ability to perform daily activities. We will
also ask you to give permission to the
doctors, teachers, therapists, and other
professionals who have information
about your child’s condition to send the
information to us.
Please provide any of your child’s
medical or school records that you have.
This will help speed up the decision-
making process.
What happens next?
We send all the information you give us
to the Disability Determination Services
(DDS) office in your state. Doctors and
other trained staff in that state agency will
review the information. They will request
your child’s medical and school records
and any other information needed to
decide if your child meets our criteria
for disability.
3
The state agency may not be able to
make a disability determination using
only the medical information, school
records, and other facts they have. If so,
they may ask you to take your child for a
medical examination or test. We will pay
for the exam or test.
We may make immediate SSI
payments to your child
The state agency may take 6 to 8
months to decide if your child meets our
criteria for disability. For some medical
conditions, however, we make SSI
payments right away, for up to 6 months,
while the state agency decides if your
child meets the criteria for immediate
payment.
Some of the conditions include:
• Total blindness.
• Total deafness.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Down syndrome.
• Muscular dystrophy.
• Severe intellectual disability (child age
4 or older).
• Symptomatic HIV infection.
• Birth weight below 2 pounds, 10
ounces — We evaluate low birth
weight in infants from birth to
attainment of age 1 and failure to
thrive in infants and toddlers from
birth to attainment of age 3. We
use the infant’s birth weight as
documented by an original or certified
4
copy of the infant’s birth certificate
or by a medical record signed by
a physician.
Your child may get SSI payments right
away. If the state agency ultimately
decides that your child’s disability is not
severe enough for SSI, you won’t have
to pay back the SSI payments that your
child received.
SSI disability reviews
After your child starts receiving SSI, the
law requires that we review their medical
condition from time to time to verify that
their disability still meets our criteria.
We must do this review at each of the
following times:
• At least every 3 years for children
younger than age 18 whose
conditions are expected to improve or
for which improvement is possible.
• By age 1 for babies who are getting
SSI payments because of their low
birth weight. If we determine their
medical condition isn’t expected to
improve by their 1st birthday, we may
schedule the review for a later date.
We may perform a disability review even
if your child’s condition isn’t expected
to improve. When we do a review, you
must present evidence that your child’s
disability still severely limits their daily
activities. You must also demonstrate
that your child has been receiving
treatment that’s considered medically
necessary for their medical condition.
5
What happens when your child
turns age 18
In the SSI program, a child becomes an
adult at age 18. We use different medical
and non-medical rules when deciding if
an adult can get SSI disability payments.
For example, we don’t count the income
and resources of family members,
except of a spouse, when deciding
whether an adult meets the financial
limits for SSI. We count only the adult’s
and spouse’s income and resources. We
also use the disability rules for adults
when deciding whether an adult has a
disability.
• If your child is already receiving SSI
payments, we must review the child’s
medical condition when they turn age
18. We usually do this review during
the 1-year period that begins on your
child’s 18th birthday. We will use the
adult disability rules to decide whether
your 18-year-old is eligible for SSI.
• If your child wasn’t eligible for SSI
before their 18th birthday because
you and your spouse had too much
income or too many resources,
they may become eligible for SSI at
age 18.
For more information, read Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) (Publication
No. 05-11000).
6
Social Security Disability
Insurance benefits for adults
with disabilities since childhood
The SSDI program pays benefits to
adults who have a disability that began
before they became 22-years-old. We
consider this SSDI benefit a “child’s”
benefit because it is paid on a parent’s
Social Security earnings record.
For an adult with a disability to become
entitled to this “child’s” benefit, one of
their parents must:
• Be receiving Social Security
retirement or disability benefits.
• Have died and had worked to earn
enough to be eligible for Social
Security benefits.
Children who were receiving benefits
as a minor child on a parent’s Social
Security record may be eligible to
continue receiving benefits on that
parent’s record upon reaching age 18, if
they are determined to have a disability.
We make the disability determination
using the disability rules for adults.
SSDI Disabled Adult Child (DAC)
benefits continue as long as they have
a disability. Marriage of the DAC may
affect eligibility for this benefit. Your
child doesn’t need to have worked to get
these benefits.
7
How we determine if your
child over age 18 is entitled to
SSDI benefits
If your child is age 18 or older, we will
evaluate their disability in the same
way we would determine disability for
any adult. We send the application
to the DDS in your state that makes
the disability determination for us.
For detailed information about how
we determine disability for adults,
read Disability Benefits (Publication
No. 05-10029).
Applying for SSI payments or

SSDI benefits and how you
can help
You will need to complete an application
for SSI payments or SSDI benefits for
your child and a Child Disability Report.
The report collects information about the
child’s disability and how it affects their
ability to function. You can complete a
Child Disability Report online. Once you
submit it, one of our representatives
will contact you by phone to begin the
application process. You can also call
us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 to apply
or schedule an appointment. If you are
applying for SSI payments for your child,
you should have their Social Security
number and birth certificate with you. If
you are applying for SSDI benefits for
your child based on a parent’s earnings
record, please have:
8
• The Social Security number of
the parent receiving retirement or
disability benefits, or the deceased
parent on whose record the SSDI
claim is being filed.
• The child’s Social Security number
and birth certificate.
You can help us make a determination by
doing the following:
• Tell us as much as you can about
your child’s medical condition(s).
• Give us the dates of visits to doctors
or hospitals, including the patient
account numbers for any doctors
or hospitals. Also include any other
information that will help us get your
child’s medical records.
• Provide us with copies of any medical
reports or information you have in
your possession.
NOTE: You don’t need to request
information from your child’s doctors.
We will contact them directly for reports
or information that we need to make a
decision about your child’s disability.
If your child is younger than age 18 and
applying for SSI, you must provide records
that show your income and resources.
You must also provide information on
the income and resources of your child
and others in the household. We also
will ask you to describe how your child’s
condition affects their ability to perform
daily activities. In addition, we will ask for
the names of teachers and any school
9
records, day care providers, and family
members who can provide information
about how your child functions.
In many communities, special
arrangements have been made with
medical providers, social service
agencies, and schools to help us get
the evidence we need to process your
child’s claim. Your cooperation in getting
records and other information, however,
will help us finish our job more quickly.
Employment support
programs for young people
with disabilities
We have many ways to encourage
young people who are receiving SSI
payments or SSDI benefits and want to
go to work.
Under SSI:
• When we figure your child’s monthly
SSI payment, we don’t count most
of your child’s income. If your child is
younger than age 22 and is a student
who regularly attends school, we
exclude even more of their earnings
each month. In 2024, students
younger than age 22 may exclude
$2,290 of their monthly earnings,
with an annual limit of $9,230, when
calculating their income for SSI.
These limits may increase each year.
• With a Plan to Achieve Self-Support
(PASS), a child who is age 15 or older
can save some income and resources
to pay for education and other things
10
needed to work. We don’t count the
saved income and resources when
we figure the amount of your child’s
payment. Read more about PASS at
www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/
pass.htm.
• Because of a medical condition(s),
your child may need certain items
and services to work, such as a
wheelchair or a personal assistant.
When figuring your child’s SSI
payment, we won’t count some or all
the amounts paid for these items and
services in your child’s earnings.
• A child older than age 15 may get
help with rehabilitation and training.
• Medicaid coverage will continue
even if your child’s earnings are
high enough to stop the monthly SSI
payment as long as the earnings are
under a certain amount.
Under SSDI:
• An adult diagnosed with a disability
before age 22 can get the same
help with work expenses explained
above for a child receiving SSI. They
can also get help with rehabilitation
and training.
• Benefit payments may continue as
long as your child is not engaging
in substantial work. For 2024, we
consider your child to be doing
substantial work if their monthly
earnings are over $1,550 for non-blind
beneficiaries ($2,590 if they are blind).
11
You can get more information
about these programs by reading
www.ssa.gov/redbook or by calling us
toll-free at 1-800-772-1213.
Medicaid and Medicare

Medicaid is a health care program
for people with limited income and
resources. In most states, children who
get SSI payments can receive Medicaid
coverage, and in some cases, this
comes automatically with SSI eligibility.
In other states, you must sign up for
it. Some children can get Medicaid
coverage even if they aren’t eligible for
SSI. Check with your state Medicaid
agency or your state or county social
services office for more information.
Medicare is a federal health insurance
program for people age 65 or older and
for people who have been getting SSDI
for at least 2 years.
There are 2 exceptions to this rule. Your
DAC can get Medicare sooner if they
have:
• End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent
kidney failure requiring a kidney
transplant or maintenance dialysis).
• Lou Gehrig’s disease (Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis).
12
Children’s Health
Insurance Program
The Children’s Health Insurance
Program enables states to provide
health insurance to children from
working families with incomes too high
for Medicaid, but too low to afford private
health insurance. The program provides
coverage for prescription drugs, vision,
hearing, and mental health services,
and is available in all 50 states and the
District of Columbia. Your state Medicaid
agency can provide more information
about this program or you can get more
information about coverage for your
children at www.insurekidsnow.gov or
by calling 1-877-543-7669.
Other health care services

When your child gets SSI, we’ll refer you
to places where you can get health care
services for them. These services are
under the Children with Special Health
Care Needs provision of the Social
Security Act. State health agencies
usually manage these programs.
States call these services by many
different names, including Children’s
Special Health Services, Children’s
Medical Services, and Handicapped
Children’s Program. Most programs
provide services through clinics, private
offices, hospital-based outpatient
and inpatient treatment centers, or
community agencies.
13
Even if your child doesn’t get SSI, one of
these programs may be able to help you.
Local health departments, social service
offices, or hospitals should be able to
help you contact your local Children with
Special Health Care Needs program.
Contacting Us
The most convenient way to do business
with us is to visit www.ssa.gov to
get information and use our online
services. There are several things you
can do online: apply for benefits; start
or complete your request for an original
or replacement Social Security card;
get useful information; find publications;
and get answers to frequently asked
questions.
When you open a personal
my Social Security account, you have
more capabilities. You can review
your Social Security Statement, verify
your earnings, and get estimates of
future benefits. You can also print
a benefit verification letter, change
your direct deposit information (Social
Security beneficiaries only), and get a
replacement SSA-1099/1042S. If you
live outside the United States, visit
www.ssa.gov/foreign to access our
online services.
If you don’t have access to the internet,
we offer many automated services by
telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, so you may not need to speak
with a representative.
14
If you need to speak with someone, call
us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or at our
TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re
deaf or hard of hearing. A member of
our staff can answer your call from 8
a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
We provide free interpreter services
upon request. For quicker access to a
representative, try calling early in the
day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local
time) or later in the day. We are less
busy later in the week (Wednesday to
Friday) and later in the month.
15
Introduction
This booklet explains some of your rights and
responsibilities when you receive Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
We suggest you take time now to read this booklet,
and then put it in a safe place so you can refer to it in
the future.
If you also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
payments, read What You Need to Know When You
Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (Publication
No. 05-11011).
About your benefits

When your payments start
Under the law, your payments can’t begin until you have
a disability for at least 5 full months. Payments usually
start with your 6th month of disability. However, there is
no waiting period if your disability results from amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS) and you are approved for SSDI
benefits on or after July 23, 2020.
When we tell you that you’ll be receiving disability benefit
payments, the notice explains how much your disability
benefit will be and when your payments start.
NOTE: If your family members are eligible for benefits
based on your work, they’ll receive a separate notice
and booklet.
How long payments continue

Generally, your disability benefits will continue as
long as your medical condition has not improved and
you can’t work. Benefits won’t necessarily continue
indefinitely. Because of advances in medical science
and rehabilitation techniques, many people recover
1
from serious accidents and illnesses. We’ll review
your case periodically to make sure you still have a
qualifying disability.
You’re responsible for telling us if any of the following occur:
• Your ability to work changes.
• You return to work.
• Your medical condition improves.
NOTE: Other changes you need to report to us are
described in the “What you must report to us” section.
If you disagree with a decision we make

If you have any questions about your payment amount, or
any other information we may send to you, please contact
us. If you were recently denied Social Security benefits
for medical or non-medical reasons, you may request
an appeal. Your request must be in writing and received
within 60 days of the date you receive the letter containing
our decision.
The fastest and easiest way to file an appeal of your
decision is by visiting www.ssa.gov/disability/appeal.
You can file online and provide documents electronically
to support your appeal. You can file an appeal online even
if you live outside of the United States.
You can also call us and ask for the appeal form (Form
SSA-561).
If you still aren’t satisfied, there are further steps you can
take. Read Your Right to Question the Decision Made on
Your Claim (Publication No. 05-10058).
You have the right to hire an attorney or anyone else
to represent you. This doesn’t mean you must have an
attorney or other representative, but we’ll be glad to work
with one if you wish. For more information about getting
a representative, read Your Right to Representation
(Publication No. 05-10075).
2
When and how your benefits are paid
Social Security benefits are paid each month. Generally,
the day on which you receive your benefits depends on the
birth date of the person on whose work record you receive
benefits. For example, if you receive disability or retirement
benefits, your payment date will be determined by your
birth date. If you receive benefits as a spouse, your benefit
payment date will be determined by your spouse’s birth date.
Electronic payments
You must receive your payments electronically. If you
didn’t sign up for electronic payments when you applied,
we strongly urge you to do it now.
Direct deposit is a simple, safe, and secure way to receive
your benefits. Contact your bank to help you sign up. Or,
you can sign up for direct deposit by contacting us.
Another option is the Direct Express® card program. With
Direct Express®, deposits from federal payments are
made directly to the card account. Signing up for a card
is quick and easy. Call the toll-free Treasury Electronic
Payment Solution Contact Center at 1-800-333-1795. Or,
sign up online at www.godirect.org or ask one of our
representatives if you need help signing up.
If you receive your checks by mail
If your check is not delivered on its due date, wait 3
workdays before reporting the missing check to us. The
most common reason checks are late is because a
change of address wasn’t reported.
If your check is lost or stolen, contact us immediately.
Your check can be replaced, but it takes time.
3
To be safe, you should cash or deposit your check as
soon as possible after you receive it. You shouldn’t sign
your check until you are at the place where you’ll cash it.
If you sign the check ahead of time and lose it, the person
who finds it could cash it.
A government check must be cashed within 12 months after
the date of the check or it will be voided. After a year, if you’re
still entitled to the payment, we’ll replace the voided check.
Returning benefits not due
If you receive a check that you know isn’t due, take it to
any Social Security office or return it to the U.S. Treasury
Department at the address on the check envelope. You
should write VOID on the front of the check and enclose
a note telling why you’re sending the check back. If you
have direct deposit and receive a payment you should not
have gotten, call or visit your local Social Security office.
We’ll tell you how you can return it.
If you knowingly accept payments that aren’t due to you,
you may face criminal charges.
Paying taxes on your benefits
Some people who get Social Security benefits have to pay
taxes on their benefits. About one-third of our current
beneficiaries pay taxes on their benefits. You’ll be
affected only if you have substantial income in addition to
your Social Security benefits.
• If you file a federal individual income tax return and your
income is more than $25,000, you have to pay taxes.
• If you file a joint return, you may have to pay taxes if
you and your spouse have a combined income that is
more than $32,000.
• If you’re married and file a separate return, you’ll
probably pay taxes on your benefits.
For more information, contact the Internal Revenue Service.
4
How we will contact you
Generally, we use the mail or call you on the phone
when we want to contact you, but sometimes a Social
Security representative may come to your home. Our
representative will show you their identification before
talking about your benefits. For your protection, call your
local Social Security office to ask if someone was sent to
see you before you let the representative into your home.
A special note for people who are blind
You can choose to receive notices from us in one of the
following ways. Just let us know which you prefer.
• Standard print notice by first-class mail.
• Standard print notice by certified mail.
• Standard print notice by first-class mail and a follow-up
telephone call.
• Braille notice and a standard print notice by
first-class mail.
• Microsoft Word file on a data compact disc (CD) and a
standard print notice by first-class mail.
• Audio CD and a standard print notice by first-class mail.
• Large print (18-point size) notice and a standard print
notice by first-class mail.
To select one of these options, please contact us using
one of the following methods:
• Visit our website at www.ssa.gov/notices, and follow
the steps provided.
• Call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. If you are deaf
or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number at
1-800-325-0778.
• Write or visit your local Social Security office.
5
If you’d like to receive notices in another way, please call
us at 1-800-772-1213, or visit your local Social Security
office so we can begin processing your request. If we’re
unable to approve your request, we’ll send the reason in
writing to you and tell you how to appeal the decision.
If you have a question about a Social Security notice,
you may call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 to ask for the
notice to be read or explained to you.
Cost-of-living adjustments
Each January, your benefits will increase automatically
if the cost of living has gone up. For example, if the cost
of living has increased by 2%, your benefits also will
increase by 2%. If you receive your benefits by direct
deposit, we’ll notify you in advance of your new benefit
amount. If you receive your benefits by check, we’ll
include a notice explaining the cost-of-living adjustment
with your check.
When you reach full retirement age
If you’re receiving SSDI benefits, your disability benefits
automatically convert to retirement benefits, but the
amount remains the same.
If you also receive a reduced surviving spouse benefit,
be sure to contact us when you reach full retirement age,
so that we can make any necessary adjustment in your
benefits.
NOTE: For more information about full retirement age,
read Retirement Benefits (Publication No. 05-10035).
6
Other benefits you may be able to get
SSI
If you have limited income and resources, you may be
able to get SSI. SSI is a federal program that provides
monthly payments to people age 65 or older and to
people who are blind or have a disability. If you get
SSI, you also may be able to get other benefits, such
as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP).
For more information about SSI, read Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) (Publication No. 05-11000).
A word about Medicare
After you receive disability benefits for 24 months, you’ll
be eligible for Medicare. You will get information about
Medicare several months before your coverage starts.
If you have permanent kidney failure requiring regular
dialysis or a transplant or you have amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), you may qualify for Medicare almost
immediately.
Help for low-income Medicare beneficiaries
If you get Medicare and have low income and few
resources, your state may pay your Medicare premiums
and, in some cases, other “out-of-pocket” medical
expenses. These expenses may include deductibles and
coinsurance. Only your state can decide if you qualify. To
find out if you do, contact your state or local welfare office
or Medicaid agency. Also, more information is available
from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by
calling the Medicare, toll-free number, 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227). If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, call
TTY 1-877-486-2048.
7
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
You might be able to get help through the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known
as food stamps. Visit www.fns.usda.gov/snap to find
out how to apply. For more information, read Nutrition
Assistance Programs (Publication No. 05-10100) or
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Facts
(Publication No. 05-10101).
What you must report to us

Please notify us promptly by phone, mail, or in person
whenever a change occurs that could affect your benefits.
We explain the changes you must report to us in the
next pages.
Family members receiving benefits based on your work
also should report events that might affect their payments.
Information you give to another government agency may
be provided to us by the other agency, but you also must
report the change directly to us.
NOTE: If we find that you gave us false information on
purpose, we’ll stop your benefits. For the 1st violation,
your benefits will stop for 6 months; for the 2nd violation,
12 months; and for the 3rd, 24 months. Also, if you don’t
report a change, it may result in your being paid too
much. If you’re overpaid, you’ll have to repay the money.
Have your Beneficiary Notice Control (BNC) number
handy when you report a change. Your BNC will be on
any letter we send you about your benefits. You also
should be prepared to give the date of the change, and if
different, the name of the person about whom the report
is made.
8
If you work while receiving disability payments
You should tell us if you take a job or become self-
employed, no matter how little you earn. Please let us
know how many hours you expect to work and when your
work starts or stops. If you still have a qualifying disability,
you’ll be eligible for a trial work period, and you can
continue receiving benefits for up to 9 months. Also, tell
us if you have any special work expenses because of your
disability (such as specialized equipment, a wheelchair or
even prescription drugs). Tell us if there’s any change in
the amount of those expenses.
If you receive other disability benefits
Social Security benefits for you and your family may be
reduced if you also are eligible for workers’ compensation
(including payments through the black lung program).
These benefits may also be reduced if you are eligible
for disability benefits from certain federal, state, or local
government programs. You must tell us if any of the
following occur:
• You apply for another type of disability benefit.
• You receive another disability benefit or a lump-sum
settlement.
• Your benefits change or stop.
If you’re offered services under the Ticket to
Work program
We may send you a “ticket” that you can use to get
services to help you go to work or earn more money. You
may take the “ticket” to your state vocational rehabilitation
agency or to an employment network of your choice.
Employment networks are private organizations that have
agreed to work with us to provide employment services
to beneficiaries with disabilities. Your participation in the
9
Ticket to Work program is voluntary and we provide the
services to you at no cost. For more information, read
Your Ticket to Work (Publication No. 05-10061).
If you move
When you plan to move, tell us your new address and
phone number as soon as you know them. Also, please
let us know the names of any family members who are
getting benefits and who are moving with you. Even if
you receive your benefits by direct deposit, we must
have your correct address so we can send letters and
other important information to you. Your benefits will be
stopped if we’re unable to contact you. You can change
your address with a personal my Social Security account.
To create a personal my Social Security account, visit,
www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
Be sure you also file a change of address with your
post office.
If you change direct deposit accounts
If you change financial institutions or open a new account,
be sure to say that you want to sign up for direct deposit.
You can also change your direct deposit online if you
have a personal my Social Security account. Or, we can
change your direct deposit information over the telephone.
Have your new and old bank account numbers handy
when you call us. They’ll be printed on your personal
checks or account statements. Changing this information
takes us about 30-60 days. Don’t close your old account
until you make sure your benefits are being deposited into
the new account.
If you’re unable to manage your benefits
Sometimes people are unable to manage their money.
When this happens, we should be notified. We can
arrange to send benefits to a relative or other person
who agrees to use the money to take care of the person
10
for whom the benefits are paid. We call the person who
manages someone else’s benefits a “representative
payee.” For more information, read A Guide for
Representative Payees (Publication No. 05-10076).
NOTE: People who have “power of attorney” for
someone don’t automatically qualify to be the person’s
representative payee.
To help protect what’s important to you, we now
offer the option to choose a representative payee in
advance. Advance Designation allows capable adult and
emancipated minor applicants and thoes who receive
Social Security benefits, SSI, and Special Veterans
Benefits to choose one or more persons to serve as their
representative payee in the future. If you need a
representative payee to assist with the management of
your benefits, we will first consider your advance
designees, but we must still fully evaluate them and
determine their suitability at that time.
If you get a pension from work not covered by
Social Security
If you start receiving a pension from a job for which you
didn’t pay Social Security taxes — for example, from the
federal civil service system, some state or local pension
systems, nonprofit organizations, or a foreign government
— your Social Security benefit may be reduced. Also, tell
us if the amount of your pension changes.
If you get married or divorced
If you get married or divorced, your Social Security
benefits may be affected, depending on the kind of
benefits you receive.
If your benefits are stopped because of marriage or
remarriage, they may be started again if the marriage ends.
11
If you get: Then:
Your own disability benefits Your benefits will continue.
Spouse’s benefits Your benefits will continue if you
get divorced and you are age 62
or over, unless you were married
less than 10 years.
Benefits for a surviving spouse Your benefits will continue if you
with a disability (including remarry when you are age 50
divorced surviving spouses) or older.
Any other kind of benefits Generally, your benefits will stop

when you get married. Your
benefits may be started again if
the marriage ends.
If you change your name

If you change your name — by marriage, divorce, or court
order — you need to tell us right away. If you don’t give
us this information, your benefits will be issued under your
old name. If you have direct deposit, payments may not
reach your account. If you receive checks, you may not be
able to cash them if your identification is different from the
name on your check.
If you care for a child who receives benefits
If you receive benefits because you are caring for a
disability beneficiary’s child who is younger than age 16 or
has a disability, you should notify us right away if the child
leaves your care. You must give us the name and address
of the person with whom the child is living.
A temporary separation may not affect your benefits if you
continue to have parental control over the child. However,
your benefits will stop if you no longer have responsibility
for the child. If the child returns to your care, we can start
sending your benefits to you again.
12
Your benefits usually stop when the youngest, unmarried
child in your care reaches age 16, unless the child has
a disability.
If you become a parent after entitlement
If you become the parent of a child or an adopted child
after entitlement let us know so that we may determine if
the child qualifies for benefits.
If a child receiving benefits is adopted
When a child who is receiving benefits is adopted by
someone else, let us know the child’s new name, the
date of the adoption decree, and the adopting parent’s
name and address. The adoption will not cause the child’s
benefits to stop.
If you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest
You must tell us if you have an outstanding arrest warrant
for any of the following felony offenses:
• Flight to avoid prosecution or confinement.
• Escape from custody.
• Flight-escape.
You can’t receive regular disability benefits, or any
underpayments you may be due, for any month in which
there is an outstanding arrest warrant for any of these
felony offenses.
13
If you’re convicted of a crime
Tell us right away if you’re convicted of a crime. Regular
disability benefits, or any underpayments that may be
due, aren’t paid for the months a person is confined for
a crime. However, any family members who are eligible
for benefits based on that person’s work may continue to
receive benefits.
Monthly benefits or any underpayments that may be due
usually aren’t paid to someone who commits a crime
and who is confined to jail, prison, penal institution,
or correctional facility. This applies if the person has
been found either:
• Not guilty by reason of insanity or similar factors
(such as mental disease, mental defect, or mental
incompetence).
• Incompetent to stand trial.
If you violate a condition of parole or probation
You must tell us if you’re violating a condition of your
probation or parole imposed under federal or state
law. You can’t receive regular disability benefits or any
underpayment that may be due for any month in which
you violate a condition of your probation or parole.
If you leave the United States
If you’re a U.S. citizen, you can travel to or live in most
foreign countries without affecting your Social Security
benefits. There are, however, a few countries where we
can’t send Social Security payments. These countries
are Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova, North Korea, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
and Uzbekistan. However, we can make exceptions
for certain eligible beneficiaries in countries other
than Cuba and North Korea. For more information
about these exceptions, please contact your local
Social Security office.
14
Let us know if you plan to go outside the United States
for a trip that lasts 30 days or more. Tell us the name of
the country or countries you plan to visit and the date you
expect to leave the United States.
We will send you special reporting instructions and tell
you how to arrange for your benefits while you’re away.
Be sure to notify us when you return to the United States.
If you aren’t a U.S. citizen, and you return to live in
the United States, you must provide evidence of your
noncitizen status to continue receiving benefits. If you
work outside the United States, different rules apply in
determining whether you can get your benefits.
For more information, read Your Payments While You are
Outside the United States (Publication No. 05-10137).
If your citizenship status changes
If you aren’t a U.S. citizen, let us know if you become a
U.S. citizen or if your status changes. If your immigration
status expires, you must give us new evidence that you
are still in the United States lawfully.
If a beneficiary dies
Let us know if a person receiving Social Security benefits
dies. Benefits aren’t payable for the month of death. That
means, for example, if the person died any time in July,
the check received in August (which is payment for July)
must be returned. If direct deposit is used, also notify the
financial institution of the death as soon as possible so it
can return any payments received after death.
Family members may be eligible for Social Security
survivors benefits when a person getting disability
benefits dies.
15
If you’re receiving Social Security and Railroad
Retirement benefits
If you’re receiving both Social Security and Railroad
Retirement benefits based on your spouse’s work, and
your spouse dies, you must tell us immediately. You’ll
no longer be eligible to receive both benefits. You’ll be
notified which survivor benefit you’ll receive.
Benefits for children

If you’re receiving benefits on behalf of a child, there
are important things you should know about his or
her benefits.
When a child reaches age 18
A child’s benefits stop the month before the child reaches
age 18, unless the child is has a disability or is a full-time
elementary or secondary school student and unmarried.
About 3 months before the child’s 18th birthday, you’ll get
a letter explaining how benefits can continue. We’ll also
send a letter to the child and a student form.
If your child’s benefits stopped at age 18, they can
start again if they have a disability that begins before
they reach age 22 or become a full-time elementary or
secondary school student before reaching age 19. The
student needs to contact us to reapply for benefits.
If your 18-year-old child is still in school
An 18-year-old can receive benefits until age 19 if they
continue to be a full-time elementary or secondary school
student. When your child’s 19th birthday occurs during a
school term, benefits usually can continue until completion
of the term, or for 2 months following their 19th birthday,
whichever comes first.
16
You should tell us immediately if your child marries, is
convicted of a crime, drops out of school, changes from
full-time to part-time attendance, is expelled, suspended, or
changes schools. You should also tell us if your child has an
employer who is paying for your child to attend school.
In general, a student can keep receiving benefits during a
vacation period of 4 months or less if they plan to go back
to school full time at the end of the vacation.
If your child has a disability
Your child can continue to receive benefits after age
18 if they have a disability that begins before age 22.
Your child also may qualify for SSI. Contact us for
more information.
If you have a stepchild and get divorced
If you have a stepchild who is getting benefits based
on your work, and you divorce the child’s parent, you
must tell us as soon as the divorce becomes final. Your
stepchild’s benefits will stop the month after the divorce
becomes final.
Reviewing your medical condition

All people receiving disability benefits must have their
medical conditions reviewed from time to time. We call
this review a continuing disability review. If evidence
shows that your condition has medically improved and
you can return to work, your disability benefits may stop.
Frequency of continuing disability reviews
The frequency of reviews depends on the nature and
severity of your medical condition and whether it’s
expected to improve.
• If improvement is expected, your 1st review generally
will be 6 to 18 months after the date your disability
began.
17
• If improvement is possible, but can’t be predicted, we’ll
review your case about every 3 years.
• If improvement is not expected, we’ll review your case
every 7 years.
What happens during a continuing disability
review?
We’ll send a letter to you telling you that we’re conducting
a medical review. Soon after you receive the notice,
someone from your local Social Security office will contact
you to explain the review process and your appeal rights.
The Social Security representative will ask you to provide
information about your medical treatment and any work
that you may have done since you started receiving
disability benefits.
A team consisting of a disability examiner and a doctor
will review your case and request your medical reports. If
needed, we may ask you to have a special examination.
We’ll pay for the examination and some of your
transportation costs.
When we make a medical decision, we’ll send you a
letter. If we decide that you still have a qualifying disability,
your benefits will continue.
If we decide you no longer have a qualifying disability and
you disagree with our decision, you may file an appeal. If
you decide not to appeal the decision, your benefits will
stop 3 months after we decide that your disability ended.
For more information, read Your Right to Question the
Decision Made on Your Claim (Publication No. 05-10058).
Helping you return to work

After you start receiving disability benefits, you may want
to try working again. There are special rules, called work
incentives, that can help you keep your cash benefits and
18
Medicare while you test your ability to work. For more
information about the ways we can help you return to
work, read Working While Disabled—How We Can Help
(Publication No. 05-10095). Detailed information about
work incentives can be found in our Red Book (Publication
No. 64-030). Also visit our website, www.ssa.gov/work.
Achieving a Better Life Experience

(ABLE) Account
An Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account is
a tax-advantaged savings account for an individual with a
disability. You can use an ABLE account to save funds for
many disability-related expenses. Anyone, including the
account owner, family, and friends can contribute to the
ABLE account. The account owner of an ABLE account
must meet one of the following:
• Be receiving SSI based on disability or blindness that
began before age 26.
• Be in SSI suspense due solely to excess income or
resources and otherwise be eligible for SSI based on
disability or blindness that began before age 26.
• Be receiving disability insurance benefits, childhood
disability benefits, or surviving spouse’s benefits based
on disability or blindness that occurred before age 26.
• Have a certification that disability or blindness occurred
before age 26.
• Have conditions on Social Security’s “List of
Compassionate Allowances Conditions” which are
deemed to meet the requirements for a disability
certification if the was present and produced marked
and severe functional limitations before the date on
which the individual attained age 26.
19
The money that you have in your ABLE account (up to
and including $100,000) does not count as a resource
under SSI rules. You can use money in an ABLE account
to pay for certain qualified disability expenses, such as
those for education, housing, transportation, employment
training, employment support, assistive technology, and
related services.
To learn more about ABLE accounts, please visit the
Internal Revenue Service’s website at www.irs.gov/
government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/
able-accounts-tax-benefit-for-people-with-disabilities.
Please note: Social Security provides this section
as a courtesy to help notify you of ABLE accounts.
However, Social Security is not affiliated with and
does not endorse any ABLE account provider or
its services.
Protection of your personal information

We keep personal and confidential information — names,
Social Security numbers, earnings records, ages, and
beneficiary addresses — for millions of people. Generally,
we’ll discuss your information only with you. When you
call or visit us, we’ll ask you several questions to help us
verify your identity. If you want someone else to help with
your Social Security business, we need your permission
to discuss your information with that person.
We urge you to be careful with your Social
Security number and to protect its confidentiality
whenever possible.
We’re committed to protecting the privacy of your records.
When we’re required by law to give information to other
government agencies that administer health or welfare
programs, such as Medicaid and the SNAP, those
agencies aren’t allowed to share that information with
anyone else.
20
Contacting Us
There are several ways to contact us, such as online,
by phone, and in person. We’re here to answer your
questions and to serve you. For nearly 90 years, we have
helped secure today and tomorrow by providing benefits
and financial protection for millions of people throughout
their life’s journey.
Visit our website
The most convenient way to conduct business with us is
online at www.ssa.gov. You can accomplish a lot.
• Apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug
plan costs.
• Apply for most types of benefits.
• Start or complete your request for an original or
replacement Social Security card.
• Find copies of our publications.
• Get answers to frequently asked questions.
When you create a personal my Social Security account,
you can do even more.
• Review your Social Security Statement.
• Verify your earnings.
• Get estimates of future benefits
• Print a benefit verification letter.
• Change your direct deposit information (Social Security
beneficiaries only).
• Get a replacement SSA-1099/1042S.
If you live outside the United States, visit
www.ssa.gov/foreign to access our online services.
21
Call us
If you cannot use our online services, we can help you by
phone when you call our National toll-free 800 Number.
We provide free interpreter services upon request.
You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 — or at our TTY
number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing
— between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday. For quicker access to a representative, try calling
early in the day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local time)
or later in the day. We are less busy later in the week
(Wednesday to Friday) and later in the month. We
also offer many automated telephone services, available
24 hours a day, so you may not need to speak with a
representative.
If you have documents we need to see, they must be
original or copies that are certified by the issuing agency.
22
The following is the list where you can get free
diapers. The list is statewise and also has url link to
the website where you can get free diapers:
Alabama
 Birmingham – Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank
 Florence – Magnolia Church Bundle of Blessings
 Huntsville – Food Bank of North Alabama
 Mobile – Junior League of Mobile
Alaska
 Anchorage – Alaska Adoption Services – Community Diaper Pantry
Arizona
 Phoenix & Tuscon – Diaper Bank of Arizona
Arkansas
 Bentonville – Diaper Bank of the Ozarks
 Springdale – The Diaper Collective of Northwest Arkansas
California
 Fresno – Central California Food Bank
 Garden Grove –Community Action Partnership of Orange County
 Goleta – LEAP: Learn Engage Advocate Partner
 Lincoln – Lighthouse Counseling & Family Resource Center
 Los Angeles – Good+ Foundation LA
 Los Angeles – Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
 Los Angeles – Open Arms Food Pantry and Resource Center
 Martinez – Sweet Beginnings Family Resource Center
 Oakland – SupplyBank.Org
 Oxnard- Food Share
 Riverside – Junior League of Riverside Diaper Bank
 Sacramento – Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
 Salinas – Food Bank of Monterey County
 San Diego – San Diego Food Bank
 San Francisco – Help A Mother Out
 Santa Rosa – Redwood Empire Food Bank
Colorado
 Aurora – WeeCycle
 Broomfield – A Precious Child
 Centennial – Rocky Mountain Diaper Depot
 Denver – Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Denver
 Grand Junction – Diaper Depot
 Greeley – United Way of Weld County
 Loveland – The Nappie Project
Connecticut
 Derby – TEAM
 Madison – Bare Necessities
 North Haven – The Diaper Bank of Connecticut
 Putnam – IHSP-Diaper Bank of NECT
 Stamford – Salvation Army Dry Bottoms Diaper Bank
Delaware
 Wilmington – Catholic Charities Bayard House
District of Columbia
 Greater DC Diaper Bank (Silver Spring, Maryland)
Florida
 Boca Raton – The Diaper Bank-Covered South Florida
 Cooper City – Greater Fort Lauderdale Diaper Bank
 Fort Myers – Healthy Start Coalition of Southwest Florida, Inc.
 Fort Pierce – Treasure Coast Food Bank
 Greenacres- Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition
 Jacksonville – Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida
 Jacksonville – Safe Future Foundation, Inc
 Miami – Miami Diaper Bank
 Naples – Baby Basics of Collier County, Inc
 Panama City – Junior League of Panama City
 Pensacola – Junior League of Pensacola
 St. Petersburg – Babycycle
 Stuart – Martin County Healthy Start Coalition
 Tallahassee – Women Empowering Each Other, Inc.
 Tampa – Junior League of Tampa
 Winter Garden – Central Florida Diaper Bank
Georgia
 Athens – Athens Area Diaper Bank
 Columbus – Junior League of Columbus Georgia
 Gainesville – Diaper Bank of North Georgia
 Norcross – Helping Mamas, Inc
 Savannah – Over the Moon Diaper Bank
Hawaii
 Honolulu – Aloha Diaper Bank
 Kamuela – Hawai’i Diaper Bank
Idaho
 Meridian – The Idaho Diaper Bank
Illinois
 Chicago – Cradles to Crayons Chicago
 Chicago- Share Our Spare
 Evanston – Bundled Blessings Diaper Pantry
 Galesburg – Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank
 Lombard – First Things First, a program of The Outreach House
 Quincy – Covered Bottoms Diaper Bank
 Savoy – Bottom Line Diaper Bank, a program of the United Way of
Champaign County
 Shiloh – Metro East Diaper Bank
 Waukegan – Diaper Depot – Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago
 Waukegan – Keeping Families Covered
Indiana
 Bloomington – All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center
 Fort Wayne – The Shepherd’s Hand Community Outreach Center
 Fort Wayne – Healthier Moms and Babies Inc.
 Hammond – Franciscan Health Diaper Pantry
 Indianapolis – Indiana Diaper Bank
 Merriville – Diaper Resource Center at Food Bank of Northwest Indiana
 Muncie – The Diaper Bank of East Central Indiana
 Terre Haute – Covered With Love, Inc.
 New Whiteland – Indiana Diaper Source
Iowa
 Bettendorf – Hiney Heroes
 Cedar Rapids – Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank
 Des Moines – Start Small Project
 Indianola – Short Years Diaper Bank
 Ottumwa – Sieda Community Action Diaper Pantry
 Muscatine – Community Diaper Bank
Kansas
 Kansas City – HappyBottoms
 Lawrence- Just Basics of Douglas County
 Salina – Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas
 Topeka – Community Action, Inc.
Kentucky
 Louisville – Saint Bernadette Diaper Bank
Louisiana
 Baton Rouge – Junior League of Baton Rouge Diaper Bank
 Lafayette – Junior League of Lafayette Diaper Bank
 New Orleans – Junior League of New Orleans Diaper Bank
 Shreveport – Basic Necessities
Maine
 Portland – Michael Klahr Jewish Family Services
 Rockland – AIO Food & Energy Assistance
Maryland
 Brooklandville – ShareBaby, Inc.
 Millersville – Walk the Walk Foundation
 Silver Spring – Greater DC Diaper Bank
 St. Charles – Maryland Diaper Bank
 Westminster – CarrollBaby
Massachusetts
 Beverly – Bambino Basket
 Boston – South Boston Neighborhood House
 Greenfield – United Way of Franklin County Diaper Bank
 Hyannis – A Baby Center
 Huntington – It Take a Village
 Lawrence – Neighbors in Need Diaper Bank
 Lexington- Beantown Baby Diaper Bank
 Needham – Baby Basics, Inc.
 Newton – Cradles to Crayons – Boston
 West Stockbridge – Berkshire Community Diaper Project, Austin Riggs Center
 Worcester – Marie’s Mission
Michigan
 Battle Creek – Battle Creek Diaper Initiative
 Detroit – Metropolitan Detroit Diaper Bank
 Grand Rapids – Great Start Parent Coalition of Kent County
 Holland – Nestlings Diaper Bank
 Kalamazoo – St. Luke’s Diaper Bank (c/o St. Luke’s Episcopal Church)
 Kalamazoo – Care Collective of Southwest Michigan
 Midland – The Diaper Alliance
Minnesota
 Elko – Shakopee Community Assistance
 Northfield – Community Action Center of Northfield
 St. Paul – Diaper Bank of Minnesota
Mississippi
 Clarksdale – Diaper Bank of the Delta
Missouri
 Columbia – First Chance for Children
 Fenton – Heroes Care
 Kansas City – HappyBottoms
 New Madrid – New Madrid County Family Resource Center
 Osage Beach – The Changing Table
 Springfield – Diaper Bank of the Ozarks
 St. Louis – St. Louis Area Diaper Bank
Montana
 Billings – Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley
Nebraska
 Omaha – Nebraska Diaper Bank
Nevada
 Las Vegas – Baby’s Bounty
 Las Vegas – HELP of Southern Nevada’s Las Vegas Diaper Bank
New Hampshire
 Pittsfield – Infant Toddler Diaper Pantry
New Jersey
 Hillside – Community FoodBank of NJ
 Lawrence Township – HomeFront Diaper Resource Center
 Montclair – Modestly Cover Diaper Bank of Essex County NJ
 New Brunswick – Central Jersey Diaper Bank of AECDC, Inc.
 Paramus – Children’s Aid and Family Services, Inc.
 Trenton – The Maker’s Place
 Warren – Moms Helping Moms Foundation
New Mexico
 Albuquerque – Junior League of Albuquerque Diaper Bank
 Santa Fe – The Food Depot
New York
 Albany – The Food Pantries of the Capital District
 Buffalo – Every Bottom Covered
 Elmira – Food Bank of the Southern Tier Diaper Bank Program
 Melville – The Allied Foundation
 Newburgh – Baby Steps Baby Pantry at Christ Lutheran Church
 New York (Bronx) – The HopeLine (Resource Center for Community
Development, Inc.)
 New York (Bronx) – Her Village, Inc.
 New York (Brooklyn) – Little Essentials
 New York (Brooklyn) – Expecting Relief
 New York (Brooklyn) – Moms for Moms, NYC
 New York (Manhattan) – Good+ Foundation
 New York (Manhattan) – NYC Mamas Give Back
 New York (Queens) – Queens Diaper Bank
 Rochester – Junior League of Rochester Diaper Bank
 Syracuse – CNY Diaper Bank
 Scarsdale – Junior League of Central Westchester
 White Plains – (914) Cares
North Carolina
 Asheville- Babies Need Bottoms, Inc.
 Durham – Diaper Bank of North Carolina
North Dakota
 Fargo – Great Plains Food Bank
Ohio
 Canton – Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank
 Centerville – Hannah’s Treasure Chest
 Cincinnati – Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank
 Cleveland – The Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland
 Columbus – Columbus Diaper Bank
 Lancaster – Bottoms Up Diaper Drive
 Plain City – The Diaper Angels (Jerome United Methodist Church)
 Toledo – Junior League of Toledo – As We Grow
 Trotwood – Gem City Diaper Bank
 Youngstown – Project MKC
Oklahoma
 Oklahoma City – Infant Crisis Services, Inc.
 Shawnee – Legacy Parenting Center
 Tulsa – Emergency Infant Services
Oregon
 Portland – PDX Diaper Bank
 Springfield- Lane County Diaper Bank
Pennsylvania
 Allentown – Lehigh Valley Diaper Bank
 Erie- Diaper Depot at the Erie Family Center
 Harrisburg – Healthy Steps Diaper Bank
 Norristown – Mitzvah Circle Foundation
 Philadelphia – Center for Leadership, Development and Advocacy
 Philadelphia – Cradles to Crayons, PA
 Philadelphia – The Greater Philadelphia Diaper Bank
 Philadelphia – Pamper And Diaper My Baby
 Pittsburgh – Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank
 Scranton – St. Joseph’s Center
Puerto Rico
 Carolina –Banco de Alimentos Puerto Rico, Inc.
Rhode Island
 Providence – Project Undercover
South Carolina
 Charleston – Bundles to Joy Diaper Bank
 Charleston – Junior League of Charleston – Charleston Area Diaper Bank
 Columbia – Power In Changing
 Elgin – United for Baby
South Dakota
 Rapid City – Volunteers of America Mommy’s Closet
 Sioux Falls – Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Sioux Falls
Tennessee
 Cordova (Memphis) – Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry
 Knoxville – Helping Mamas
 Lexington – Shiloh Distribution Center
 Memphis – Mid-South Food Bank
 Nashville – Nashville Diaper Connection
Texas
 Amarillo – Joseph’s Project, a program of Catholic Charities of Texas
Panhandle
 Austin – Austin Diaper Bank
 Dallas – Hope Supply Co.
 El Paso – Her Pantry Ministries
 Fort Worth – Junior League of Fort Worth Diaper Bank
 Galveston – Galveston Diaper Bank
 Houston – Houston Diaper Bank
 McKinney – Baby Booties Diaper Bank
 San Antonio – Texas Diaper Bank
 Spring – Northwest Houston Diaper Bank
Utah
 Logan – Little Lambs Foundation for Kids
 Sandy – Utah Diaper Bank
Vermont
 Pawlet – Felicia’s Inc.
Virginia
 Harrisonburg – Children’s Clothes Closet at Mission Central
 Richmond – Urban Baby Beginnings Community Cares
 Rockingham – Baby Hope, a program of Hope Distributed
 Silver Spring (MD) – Greater DC Diaper Bank
 Toms Brook – Shenandoah Lutheran Ministries
 Vienna – Fairfax Diaper Bank
 Virginia Beach – Greater Hampton Roads Diaper Bank
Washington
 Battle Ground – Battle Ground Adventist Community Services
 Bellevue – Babies of Homelessness
 Issaquah – KidVantage
 La Conner – The Diaper Bank of Skagit County
 Olympia – Dry Tikes and Wet Wipes
 Pasco – Tri-Cities Diaper Bank
 Seattle – WestSide Baby
 Spokane Valley – Inland NW Diaper Bank a program of Spokane Valley
Partners
 Tacoma – Pierce County Early Childhood Network
West Virginia
 Charleston – Diaper Drop Charities
 Ripley – Ripley Nazarene Mission Baby Pantry
 Welch – The Community Crossing, Inc.
 Weston – Lewis County Diaper Pantry
Wisconsin
 Eau Claire – United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley
 Elkhorn – Walworth County Diaper Bank
 La Crosse – The Parenting Place, Inc.
 Little Chute – Eastern Wisconsin Diaper Bank
 Madison – Babies and Beyond
 Madison – The Village Diaper Bank
 Menasha – Fox Cities Diaper Bank, an initiative of United Way Fox Cities
 Milwaukee – Milwaukee Diaper Mission
 Milwaukee – United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
 Sheboygan – BabyCare of The Sheboygan Evangelical Free Church
 Wausau – The Neighbors’ Place

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P O L I C Y S TAT E M E N T O N I N C L U S I O N O F C H I L D R E N W I T H D I S A B I L I T I E S I N E A R LY C H I L D H O O D P R O G R A M S

THE FOUNDATION FOR INCLUSION IN

Inclusion in Early Childhood Programs

 use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs,

The Scientific Basis for the Benefits of Inclusion

The Legal Foundation for Inclusion

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE INCLUSION IN

Understanding Evidence-based Inclusion

Understanding IDEA Requirements

Staffing and Training the Early Childhood Workforce

Committing to Build Partnerships

Increasing Access for All Children

THE PATH AHEAD: PARTNERING TO

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATE ACTION

1. Ensure a Cross-Sector State Leadership Team Implements a

S TATE S POTLIGHT: I LLINOIS

2. Ensure State Policies and Guidance Meet Federal Requirements and

State-level memoranda of understanding can

State and local policies, guidance, and procedures should:

S TATE S POTLIGHT: K ENTUCKY & M INNESOTA

3. Engage Families as Essential Partners

4. Use Data to Guide Decisions for Continuous Quality Improvement

5. Leverage Funding and Resources to Support Inclusion Across

State agencies should examine regulations,

The State strategic plan should include how

6. Implement State Early Learning Guidelines and Statewide Initiatives

S TATE S POTLIGHT: M ARYLAND

7. Ensure Program Standards Support High-Quality Inclusion

STATE SPOTLIGHT: VIRGINIA

8. Strengthen Accountability Systems and Build Structures to

9. Build a Coordinated Early Childhood Workforce System

• Establish Structures to Support Recruitment, Retention, Compensation, and

The State leadership team should

• Build a Common Knowledge and Competency Base Across Child-Serving Providers

S TATE S POTLIGHT: M ARYLAND

• Ensure that State Certifications, Credentials, and Workforce Preparation Programs

S TATE S POTLIGHT: N ORTH C AROLINA

• Ensure Personnel Policies Facilitate Inclusion

• Offer Collaborative PD and TA

S TATE S POTLIGHT: M ICHIGAN

COLLABORATIVE PD AND TA ACTIONS

10. Raise Public Awareness

S TATE S POTLIGHT: I LLINOIS

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LOCAL ACTION

1. Establish an Inclusion Leadership Team and Vision for Inclusion

S TATE S POTLIGHT: O REGON

2. Develop Formal Collaborations with Community Partners

LOCAL S POTLIGHT: O KLAHOMA

3. Support Family Engagement and Partnerships

This information should be available and

4. Ensure Policies and Procedures Support the Provision of Services in

S TATE S POTLIGHT: C OLORADO

5. Review and Adjust Resource Allocations

In many cases, LEAs, schools, or early

RESOURCE ALLOCATION QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

6. Establish an Appropriate Staffing Structure and