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Improving Systems, Practices, and Outcomes

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August 25, 2025

Updates from the ECTA Center

Part C Indicator 4: Family Outcomes Data FFY 2022

In Part C Indicator 4: Family Outcomes Data FFY 2022, staff from the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy) and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) center cover the following topics:

  • State approaches to surveys
  • Data quality
  • Performance trends

All fifty-six states reported using surveys. Response rates varied widely, from 3% to 100% with the mean being 33%. The goal of early intervention and early childhood special education is to enable families to provide care for their children and have the resources they need to participate in family and community activities.

Read more: https://ectacenter.org/eco/pages/familyoutcomes.asp#indicatorc4

News from the Field

Curbing the Expulsion of Kids with Disabilities at Child Care

Curbing the Expulsion of Kids with Disabilities at Child Care explores new state efforts aimed at helping providers create inclusive programs for young children. According to this 2024 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, childcare providers across the country struggle to meet the needs of children with disabilities. More than a quarter of the parents of disabled children said it was difficult to find appropriate care for their kids. Families who do find a spot regularly face challenges such as having their children excluded from field trips and academic instruction. States highlighted in this article include Ohio, Vermont, and Illinois.

Source: https://hechingerreport.org/curbing-the-expulsion-of-kids-with-disabilities-at-child-care/

State Pre-K: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Yet to Come

This August 14, 2025 National Education Policy Center (NEPC) newsletter cites the State of Preschool 2024 Yearbook from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), noting that 2025 may not look as good for state-funded pre-K as 2024 did. The report cites several reasons for this outlook, including:

  • End of federal COVID-relief funds
  • Recent cuts to Medicaid funding
    • Potential elimination of Head Start funding

Additionally, cuts to Medicaid and other federal funding sources in the recently passed FY2025 Budget Reconciliation law P.L. 119-21 also known as the "big, beautiful bill" may have downstream effects on preschool as well as K-12 and postsecondary education.

Source: https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-pre-k-081425

Research

Trauma-Informed Care in an Early Childhood Special Education Center

In Trauma-Informed Care in an Early Childhood Special Education Center, a study looks at the experiences of early childhood special education (ECSE) professionals to see how their experiences affect the planning and use of trauma-informed care (TIC). Many young children with disabilities face trauma, so it's important to use TIC to help reduce its negative impacts on their development. All school staff, including administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service providers, should receive training on how to implement TIC.

Source: https://doi.org/10.1177/02711214231219282