A new fact sheet from Child Trends outlines the specific difficulties of COVID-19 for families who are caring for young children with disabilities, and suggests issues for states to consider as ECE programs begin to re-open. The fact sheet also examines the interrelationship between disability, race, and ethnicity.
Key takeaways from the fact sheet are listed below.
Access to early intervention and early childhood special education is critical to child development and learning for children with disabilities.
Children with disabilities receive services in child care programs, Head Start, and schools. When COVID-19 forced many of these ECE programs to close, access to many of these services was cut off.
ECE programs play an important role in early identification of developmental delays by providing or referring families to developmental screening.
Evidence documents the relationship between race, ethnicity, and disability status, noting that children of color have simultaneously been under- and overrepresented in terms of disability identification.
The ECE system in the US is fragmented — multiple agencies regulate and fund ECE programs, leading to different guidance being given and enacted across states. The disconnect creates challenges to monitoring and responding in a unified way to potential disparities related to race, ethnicity, and/or disability status.
There are multiple Impacts from COVID-19 on children with disabilities and their families:
Limited access to accommodations and materials: Early interventionists and early childhood special educators specialize in adaptation of play-based and educational activities. In a distance learning environment or a remote early intervention session, certain adaptations may be difficult or impossible to make.
New roles for families in therapy and learning: Families are now tasked with supporting children’s learning, but typically lack expertise in special education, how to adapt activities, or the ability to navigate technology to meet their child’s needs.
Compounded social isolation: Prior to COVID-19, families of young children with disabilities already experienced more social isolation than other families (lack of travel opportunities, hospitalization, lack of time/energy due to caregiving responsibilities). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of isolation has been compounded by social distancing mandates.
Gaps in health insurance coverage: One in six American workers (about 30 million) have filed unemployment claims since the pandemic began. Young children with disabilities who have insurance through their parent’s employer may face a loss of coverage — particularly challenging for children who receive frequent therapy or require regular medical appointments.
How can policymakers help?
Partner with experts and across state agencies by prioritizing information sharing.
Provide guidance for ECE programs that include considerations for young children with disabilities.
Consider in-home services to support parents who may need or want to keep their young children at home to reduce the risk of transmission.
Create plans for additional closures and disruption of services.
Click here to download and read the fact sheet in full.
