Advocacy Agenda to Improve Part C EI Services for PA

IV. Priority Recommendations (continued)

3 Achieving equitable access in Part C EI Participants in this review process described

the importance of increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the EI workforce, which has traditionally been predominantly white. Increasing opportunities for underrepresented people to have a career path in EI professional roles was raised as an important strategy, along with ongoing training to reduce bias and increase cultural responsiveness among EI providers. Collecting and reporting program participation and performance data by race/ethnicity is essential to monitoring equity in access to Part C EI services. Additional state and county level Part C EI program data disaggregated by race/ethnicity can help Pennsylvania monitor performance and target barriers. Pennsylvania has a diverse population of young children as detailed in Figure 8. While Pennsylvania’s low-income Black and Hispanic infants and toddlers are disproportionately less likely Pennsylvania Early Intervention Part C Participants Pennsylvania Early Intervention Part C Participants 3 Pantone RGB 241 175, 22, 133 13 15 50 15 7687 29, 66, 138 380 219, 228, 66 241 175, 22, 133 RGB Pantone 3 7687 29, 66, 138 380 219, 228, 66

concerns about achieving and assuring equity in the Part C EI Program across geographic, race/ethnicity, disability/health status, and income. IDEA, at its core, is a civil rights law designed to guarantee access to services and supports for traditionally underserved children with disabilities (who were long left out of education and other services). Thus, Part C EI and its system, agency and community partners bear a shared responsibility to help all children to realize their full potential, beginning with equitable and effective outreach processes and continuing through service delivery. The providers, parents, and others who participated in this system review emphasized Pennsylvania Population Under Age 3 Estimated Pennsylvania Population Under Age 3 that are Low Income 3 Pennsylvania Population Under Age 3 13 11 67 5 Estimated Pennsylvania Population Under Age 3 that are Low Income 3 13 11 67

CE / ETHNICITY

an/PI

3

RACE / ETHNICITY

ck

24 19 47

Asian/PI

3

panic

Black

7 19 24 47

13 15 50 15

ite

er or multirace Hispanic White

Other or multirace

5

7

RACE / ETHNICITY BREAKDOWNS

Figure 8. Infant and Toddler Populations by Race/Ethnicity

RACE / ETHNICITY BREAKDOWNS

70%

67%

70%

67%

60%

60%

50%

50%

50%

47%

50%

47%

40%

40%

30%

30%

24%

24%

19% 19%

20%

20%

15%

15%

15%

15%

13%

13%

11% 11%

13%

13%

10%

5% 7%

10%

5%

7%

3% 3%

3%

3%

3%

3%

0%

Asian/PI

Black

Hispanic Hispanic

White

Other or multirace

0%

Black Pennsylvania Population Under Age 3 Estimated Pennsylvania Population Under Age 3 that are Low Income Pennsylvania Early Intervention Part C Participants White Pennsylvania Population Under Age 3 Estimated Pennsylvania Population Under Age 3 that are Low Income Pennsylvania Early Intervention Part C Participants

Asian/PI

Other or multirace

Sources: Population data from the 2010 U.S. Census. Estimated Low-Income data uses an analysis based on the data from 2019 American Community Survey, Census Bureau. Part C EI program data from OCDEL.

June 2022

21

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