Inclusion: Quality or Quantity?

Another way to think about the meaning of blended early childhood programs is from an administrative or fiscal viewpoint. Currently, early childhood services in most states represent a veritable patchwork of many different types of programs (Head Start, child care, public pre-k, Part B-619 preschool, etc.), each with its own eligibility criteria and funding streams (and often with separate program standards and curricula as well). Administrators in some parts of the country have begun natural experiments that entail integrating funding streams and requirements from various types of early childhood programs to create blended programs that allow the enrollment of a wide range of young learners. Examples include the blending of Head Start targeting low-income children with Part B-619 programs targeting children with disabilities, or universal or targeted public pre-kindergarten with child care and Head Start, or Part B-619 with Head Start and fee-for-service. These hybrid early childhood programs are fertile ground for high quality inclusion. As we attempt to identify the most promising organizationl models for inclusion, we should look to the efforts of creative administrators, policy makers, and others who have found innovative ways to achieve high quality early care and education for every child enrolled, including young children with disabilities and children from diverse cultural and linguistic groups.

If you have found a way to create high quality blended early childhood programs in your state or local community, we'd love to hear from you. We also need more information about families' and professionals' experiences with blended early childhood programs and research on whether these blended programs produce the desired results for children and families.