Child Care for Children with Disabilities in Four Midwestern States

Lisa Knoche, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Carolyn P. Edwards, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Carla Peterson, Iowa State University
Hyun-Joo Jeon, Iowa State University

Document Type Article

This document is superceded by the published article "Child care for children with and without disabilities: The provider, observer, and parent perspectives," Early Childhood Research Quarterly 21 (2006) 93–109. That article is available in the UNL Digital Commons at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/35/

Abstract

•This study is part of a larger investigation, Midwest Child Care Research Consortium http://ccfl.unl.edu/projects/cprojects/ecp/wcrc.html •Four states participated (IA, KS, MO, NE) •Goals are to consider effects of regulation change and quality enhancement efforts, to establish collaborative relationships, & to develop instruments and procedures •The investigation has 3 phases: provider survey, program observation, parent survey.

•Inclusion is a widely embraced goal •U.S. Dept. Education targeted having 90% of children with disabilities enrolled in general education classes for 80% or more of school day (U.S. Department of Education, 1998) •60% of children under age 6 now in out-of-home care (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002) •Child-care quality in general is mediocre •Inclusive services are generally higher quality than segregated settings (Buysse et al., 1999; La Paro, Sexton & Snyder, 1998) •Provider training a key means of improving quality •Quality care choices are limited in availability •Parent characteristics guide child care choices (income, education level) •Different parent groups have unique perspectives on quality