The United States Departments of Education (DOE) and Health and Human Services (HHS) have issued a policy statement on inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. The policy statement sets a vision and provides recommendations to states and local education agencies “for increasing the inclusion of infants, toddlers and preschool children with disabilities in high-quality early education programs.” The policy focuses on providing individualized support for young students with disabilities, and how crucial early childhood development is for these students’ long-term outcomes. For school districts in California, this presents a unique challenge because preschool is not required and barely funded, and many preschool options are not entirely within the school districts’ control.

To learn more about the policy or early education and provision of FAPE, please contact a DWK attorney.