Expanding Opportunities

Promoting Inclusive Opportunities for Young Children With Disabilities: A Cross Agency Initiative

OSEP/NECTAC National Early Childhood Conference

December 3, 2007

Washington, DC

Inclusion Policy Forums

In 2004, CCB, ADD and OSEP held two policy forums to discuss challenges and strategies in the inclusion of young children with disabilities in community-based settings and activities.

Participants included parents, service providers, researchers, federal, state and local administrators and technical assistance providers.

Policy Forum Recommendations Create a comprehensive, cross-systems approach to

inclusion. Bring together national-level stakeholders to build and

implement a common vision. Additional recommendations in Awareness/Public

Relations, Policy, TA and Dissemination, Professional Development, Data Collection and Analysis, Financing Strategies, Monitoring and Accountability, Research.

Two Project Forum proceedings documents are available through NECTAC’s Expanding Opportunities page: www.nectac.org/expopps/default.asp High Quality Inclusion Opportunities for Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities and Inclusive Early Care and Education Forum Synthesis

Cross-Agency Inclusion Initiative

In response to these Policy Forum recommendations, the Child Care Bureau, Office of Head Start, Administration for Developmental Disabilities and OSEP have invited cross-agency teams from 3 to 4 states per year to participate in a strategic planning initiative called…..

Expanding Opportunities for Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families Through State-

Wide Interagency Efforts

First meeting was held August 2005 as a pre-conference day at the Fifth National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute in Chapel Hill, NC

Subsequent teams met in 2006 and 2007.

Expanding Opportunities (Cont.)

State teams included representatives from Head Start, Child Care, Administration on Developmental Disabilities programs, and IDEA early childhood programs.

Teams came together to develop state action plans targeted at improving inclusive opportunities for young children with disabilities in their state.

Federal Partnerships Child Care Bureau, Office of Head Start and

Administration on Developmental Disabilities each provided funds for the state representative from each of their respective agencies to attend the meeting.

Each Federal agency committed their TA network to provide follow-up support to the Inclusion Teams as they began to implement state plans.

Technical Assistance Follow-Up

Once teams returned to their states, Technical Assistance Networks from CCB, Office of Head Start, OSEP, and ADD began to work with state teams on further developing and implementing their plans.

Technical Assistance Contacts

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) www.nectac.org

National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) http://nccic.org/itcc

Regional Resource Centers for Special Educationwww.rrfcnetwork.org

National Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center www.hsnrc.org Head Start Regional

Disabilities Services TA Providers

Participating States

Year 1 (2005): Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Montana

Year 2 (2006): Delaware, Idaho, Tennessee, Wisconsin

Year 3 (2007): Kansas, Massachusetts, Oregon

State Team Contacts Florida –

Kim Galant Iowa –

Mary Schertz Montana –

Karen Martin Arizona –

Valerie Andrews Delaware – Jim Lesko Idaho - Mary Jones

Tennessee – Debbie Cate

Wisconsin – Jill Haglund

Kansas – Jennifer Spencer

Massachusetts – Patricia Cameron

Oregon – Jennifer Olsen

http://www.nectac.org/expopps/states.asp

Federal Team

From Left to Right: Beth Caron, OSEP; Nancy Treusch, OSEP; Ginger Johnson, OSEP; Jim O'Brien, HS; Jennifer Tschantz, OSEP; Zack Poimboeuf, CCB; and Moniquin Huggins, CCB. Jennifer Johnson, ADD, was not able to attend the meeting.

Federal Partner ContactsJim O’Brien Office of Head Start Administration for Children and Families (ACF)U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jim.obrien@acf.hhs.gov

Beth CaronUS Department of EducationOffice of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services(202) 245-7293beth.caron@ed.gov

Moniquin HugginsDirector, Program OperationsChild Care Bureau Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at HHS(202) 690-8490mhuggins@acf.hhs.gov

Jennifer JohnsonAdministration on Developmental DisabilitiesAdministration for Children and Families (ACF) at HHS(202) 690-5982 jjohnson1@acf.hhs.gov

Other Initiatives

CSEFEL SpecialQuest National Professional Development Center

on Inclusion (NPDCI)

Next Early Childhood Inclusions Institute

State TeamsIdaho

State TeamsOregon