IDEA如何帮助改善儿童和家庭的结果

Fiscal 报告 helps to ensure the federal funds state agencies receive under the Program for 婴儿 and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of Individuals with Disabilities 教育 Act [IDEA]) are being used correctly. This information has a significant impact on state programs because funding is foundational to high-quality systems and for improving outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. Providing high-quality technical assistance (TA) to support early intervention systems’ ability to implement the requirements of IDEA is also key to ensuring strong early intervention systems. 韦斯特的莎拉·沃尔特斯，M.S.Ed., 高级研究总监, 通过IDEA财务报告中心(CIFR), provides TA and develops tools for state agencies to use to help them collect, 报告, 分析他们的财政数据. She also provides TA to the state of Nebraska’s Part C of IDEA program through the Nebraska 技术援助 Project (NETA). Here she discusses advances in fiscal 报告 and other progress in helping states improve outcomes.

Q: How do you and your team help states improve the quality of their collection, 报告, 分析, 以及使用IDEA C部分的财务数据?

A: We are helping state lead agency staff recognize that while state early intervention programs for children with disabilities ages birth to 3 have different funding structures, there are specific allowable uses of federal funding under IDEA. I work with them on understanding those rules and regulations and the processes for tracking, 分配, and 报告 high-quality fiscal data so they can narrow in on what their states need to improve outcomes.

Q: What qualities are most beneficial when working with this cadre of professionals?

A: 协作和建立关系是关键. Any time you are talking about funding for critical services, the stakes are high. 信任也是关键. If we are not working together to ensure funding is appropriately used and accounted for, these children and their families cannot get the services they are entitled to and counting on.

Q: 由于大流行，你们面临了多大的障碍?

A: As a TA provider I am used to working directly with states, 为国家领导机构工作人员提供现场支持. At the same time, state staff are also used to operating with their local providers in the same way. In our work on the NETA project we had to shift our approach to providing TA and training when the pandemic hit. 该项目向外界寻求帮助, and we readily assisted them to pivot their provider trainings to a virtual platform.

Q: Nebraska conducts an annual survey to measure and 报告 family outcomes. The NETA project assists them with recording and analyzing data. 你采取了哪些措施来改进调查?为什么?

A: We streamlined the survey—shortening it—with the intention of encouraging a greater number of parents to respond. This involved deleting questions that were not pertinent and adding questions to ensure more input from parents regarding the need for program improvements. We also worked with Nebraska to analyze the results to ensure the survey respondents represented all of the state’s demographic groups and geographic regions to assure the co-lead agencies are looking at data through a lens of equity. NETA was pleased with the families’ insights and the work we did. It all circles back to the end goal: improving outcomes for these students.