On June 16, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a letter stating that the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is being moved to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Because the Administration has been vocal about this change, the move is not surprising. Nonetheless, Start Early is deeply concerned as both a direct service provider and policy leader about the impact on critical programs families rely on.
Through our work alongside children, families and providers, we see every day how important timely access to special education and Early Intervention services is to a child’s development and well-being. Yet, families with young children continue to face significant barriers to accessing such services their children are legally entitled to receive. At a moment when states are grappling with workforce shortages, service delays and growing demand, this change risks creating additional uncertainty and disruption for children and families and placing further strain on programs and systems already stretched thin. A massive shift in federal staffing and structure also threatens to de-center the important work being done by early childhood professionals, parents and caregivers to ensure that infants, toddlers and preschoolers receive the developmental supports they need—supports that help them participate fully in family life, early learning programs and their communities.
ED began its letter by stating that its decision was informed by listening sessions with various constituencies, including state Early Intervention and special education directors and advocates. Through our Together for Young Children with Disabilities campaign, Start Early has also recently held listening sessions with those who fight for inclusive, accessible services for young children with disabilities. We heard from advocates across the country that families’ access to Early Intervention and other IDEA-funded services is being compromised by an under-resourced workforce, inadequate funding, waiting lists and other systemic challenges.
These issues will not be solved by shifting OSERP to another agency, and progress toward inclusive early childhood education for all may be further jeopardized by the loss of specialized expertise, technical assistance, research functions and other institutional knowledge that will accompany this change. That institutional knowledge is not, as ED’s letter suggests, “micromanagement.” It is critical federal infrastructure that must be strengthened and sustained if America is going to live out its promise and its legal obligations under IDEA.
Start Early remains committed to working side-by-side with advocates and all who are working to advance the rights of young children with or at-risk of disabilities. We urge ED and members of Congress to ensure that any changes to federal infrastructure strengthen – not weaken – the systems that support young children with disabilities and their families, and to prioritize the funding, staffing and expertise necessary to ensure every child receives the services and supports they need and are promised under IDEA.
