Division for Early Childhood 2024 Conference

Join the Service Coordination Committee as we highlight new resources you can use to recruit service coordinators, build their knowledge and skills, and retain them as valuable members of the early intervention workforce. This session will also include engaging discussion and opportunities to provide input to inform future Committee activities. 

This session will explore opportunities for DEC members to influence policy changes for more equitable and inclusive early childhood systems for young children with disabilities and developmental delay using the 5 Ws framework (Who, What, When, Why, How).  You already know the WHY – early childhood systems are not working for families with young children with disabilities and developmental delays. This session will provide an introduction for attendees to understand WHAT state-level policy and systems change is all about and some of the hot topics states are tackling; WHO can help you make the changes you want to see; WHEN the windows of opportunity for policy change happens in states; and HOW you can influence and strengthen early childhood policies.

This session will also include a panel of state-level advocates discussing ways to get started in advocacy, how to engage families and providers in advocacy work, and other ways they have brought the 5 Ws to life.

This session will offer a world café model for attendees to explore early childhood disability policy issues they would like to influence.  Each table will have a different early childhood policy topic for discussion -- Early Intervention access, Early Childhood Special Education and inclusion across settings, child care access for children with disabilities, and another topic(s)   Each table will start with a state spark story to get the discussion going, with opportunities for attendees to identify specific activities (guided by a worksheet ) they can take back to their home states to begin to explore policy change opportunities.

DEC’s Policy and Advocacy Committee will provide recommendations on how policies can support a diverse workforce in early childhood at both the federal and state levels. Practical perspectives from traditionally marginalized backgrounds will be shared to amplify their voices, and advocacy strategies will be shared and aligned with DEC’s Racial Equity Point of View.