The Children's Equity Project

🚨 #IDEA is a federal civil rights law for children with #disabilities, administered by the Department of Education’s Office of #SpecialEducation Programs. Laying off nearly all staff in this office has wide-ranging consequences, including potentially impacting: 📚 8.3 million #children with disabilities and their #families across all 50 states and territories. 💼 Nearly 90,000 #preschool #specialeducators and #paraprofessionals. 💲 The disbursement of $15.4 billion in federal dollars that students with disabilities are entitled to and that schools depend on to support the right to a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. Look out for a new CEP report coming soon on IDEA and the critical role of OSEP.

📢 #NewReport! The CEP just released our latest report on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (#IDEA) and the critical role of the Offices of #SpecialEducation Programs and Civil Rights in administering and enforcing the law. Learn how IDEA enables over 8 million infants, toddlers, children & youth with disabilities to access the early intervention services & free public education they are entitled to, here: https://lnkd.in/gfFcmhQn #OSEP #OSERS #Disability #EdPolicy

How well do state child care licensing standards support the inclusion of children with disabilities? A new national review from the Children’s Equity Project found: • 44 states have general requirements addressing care for children with disabilities. • Only 5 states require child care centers to be accessible to children with disabilities. • Only about one-third require individual activity plans or accommodations that support inclusion. The new report compares state policies with Head Start standards and examines the research behind high-quality inclusion. Read and download the full report.

There's more behind the findings. Explore the full Children’s Equity Project analysis of how Head Start standards support children with disabilities — including national and state-level data on inclusion, screening, teacher-child ratios, and accessibility. Download the complete report.

Interested in the findings on access and inclusion for children with disabilities in Head Start? The Children’s Equity Project's new report examines inclusion, developmental screening, teacher-child ratios, accessibility, and how Head Start standards compare with state systems. If you haven't downloaded the full report yet, you can access it free from CEP.

Early identification can connect young children with developmental delays and disabilities to support sooner. In 2024, 72% of newly enrolled children ages 0–3 in Early Head Start received sensory, developmental, and behavioral screenings within 45 days. Among children screened, 19% were identified as needing an evaluation for a potential developmental delay or disability. A new Children’s Equity Project report examines developmental screening, inclusion, teacher-child ratios, accessibility, and other conditions affecting children with disabilities in Head Start and state systems. Download the full report.