Inclusive Early Education for Children with Disabilities Program
High-quality inclusion in early education supports children’s development, relationships with peers, and a sense of belonging, which is true for children with and without disabilities. Not only do children with disabilities benefit from being included in early education but children without disabilities also have positive developmental outcomes in inclusive environments.
Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, children ages three through 21 are to be provided special education and related services, to the maximum extent possible in the least restrictive environment (LRE) with children who are not disabled. In order to provide the LRE, programs should make available a continuum of placement options to allow for the most suitable placement for children with disabilities.
In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of an updated joint-policy statement on supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. The joint statement sets the expectation that inclusion continues as a child transitions into elementary school, emphasizes the need to increase public awareness and understanding of the science that supports inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs and reinforces the legal foundations that support inclusion.
The HHS-ED Policy Statement on the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs includes a renewed commitment and urgency, as children with disabilities continue to face barriers accessing and fully participating in inclusive early childhood programs. This policy statement states that all young children with disabilities should 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.
In addition, California’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care: Making California For All Kids (MPELC) (PDF) includes goals that align with the policy statement’s recommendations for inclusion of children with disabilities.
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Aligned goals include:
- Increasing opportunities for three- and four-year-old children to access high-quality, inclusive environments;
- Enhancing educator competencies to increase their effectiveness with all children and increase their ability to address children’s unique learning needs, including children with exceptional needs;
- Developing approaches to align policy and practices from birth through grade three by engaging local leadership in developing frameworks for effective transition periods.
The California Department of Education’s, Early Education Division (EED) (in collaboration with the Special Education Division) continues to strive to implement recommendations outlined in the joint policy statement and the MPELC goals to support three- and four-year-old children to access high-quality, inclusive environments.
The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
is a family-centered plan that details early intervention services and supports clients from birth to age three. The client’s initial IFSP is completed within 45 days of the family’s first contact with the Regional Center. The IFSP identifies and documents the outcomes desired by the family and clearly outlines how the IFSP team will work to achieve these goals. The IFSP comprehensively addresses health and safety-related issues, including the following:
- A record of the current physical development levels, including vision, hearing, and health status
- A description of the current cognitive, communication, social, emotional, and adaptive developmental levels
- A description of the family's concerns, priorities, the specific supports the child needs, and how these will be met
- A plan detailing the types and amounts of services and supports, the providers, and the locations of service provision
- Criteria, procedures, and timelines for assessing progress
- Procedures to ensure a smooth transition from Early Start to the next stage at age three
Reference
https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/op/iee.asp
