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Start Early’s Illinois Policy Team is excited to share the release of a new report, Strengthening Early Childhood Inclusion: Opportunities to improve collaboration between school districts and community partners to support young children with disabilities.
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In March 2021, Start Early received a short-term exploratory grant from the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities to gather insights from school management associations and school district leaders, including principals, superintendents, school board members, and early childhood and early childhood special education coordinators on what Local Education Agencies (LEAs) would need to be able to support preschool aged children with disabilities to access their special education and related services across all settings with a focus on community based settings.
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This new report outlines the research and legal foundations for inclusion and the racial and income disparities that many families experience in trying to get services for their young children with disabilities. The report summarizes key findings from surveys and focus group discussion with school district leaders and outlines critical next steps for policy makers and systems leaders to build LEA and state capacity to leverage new federal resources to improve early childhood inclusion across the mixed-service delivery early childhood system.
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Start Early’s report and efforts to strengthen inclusion in community settings in partnership with LEAs advances Illinois’ Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Inclusion and is a critical resource to inform Illinois’ early childhood systems building efforts including the Early Childhood Transformation's implementation of the Funding Commission recommendations, the Governor's Office of Early Childhood's Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning processes funded through the federal Preschool Development Grant, and the work that is anticipated under the Build Back Better Act.
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| In partnership with the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. This project was supported, in part by grant number CFDA 93.630, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy. |
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