Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in Virginia

Early care and education (ECE) experiences shape children’s developmental trajectories, particularly for children who have or may have disabilities. However, caregivers of children with disabilities have faced considerable challenges finding care for their children, which have increased during the C...

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Main Authors: Anna Shapiro, Daphna Bassok
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2022-11-01
Series:AERA Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221134525
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author Anna Shapiro
Daphna Bassok
author_facet Anna Shapiro
Daphna Bassok
author_sort Anna Shapiro
collection DOAJ
description Early care and education (ECE) experiences shape children’s developmental trajectories, particularly for children who have or may have disabilities. However, caregivers of children with disabilities have faced considerable challenges finding care for their children, which have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using survey data from nearly 3,000 caregivers of preschool-age children in Virginia collected in December 2020 and January 2021, we find that caregivers of children with disabilities were less likely to find ECE programs that met their needs, more likely to experience high levels of stress, and more likely to be concerned about their children’s development than were caregivers of children without disabilities. Concerns about child development were particularly pronounced among caregivers of children with disabilities in remote instructional settings. Our findings suggest a disproportionate impact of ECE disruption on caregivers of children with disabilities and the need for targeted supports for these caregivers moving forward.
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spelling doaj.art-a102d3759b7b40d09210adf0caee463d2022-12-22T03:57:25ZengSAGE PublishingAERA Open2332-85842022-11-01810.1177/23328584221134525Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in VirginiaAnna ShapiroDaphna BassokEarly care and education (ECE) experiences shape children’s developmental trajectories, particularly for children who have or may have disabilities. However, caregivers of children with disabilities have faced considerable challenges finding care for their children, which have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using survey data from nearly 3,000 caregivers of preschool-age children in Virginia collected in December 2020 and January 2021, we find that caregivers of children with disabilities were less likely to find ECE programs that met their needs, more likely to experience high levels of stress, and more likely to be concerned about their children’s development than were caregivers of children without disabilities. Concerns about child development were particularly pronounced among caregivers of children with disabilities in remote instructional settings. Our findings suggest a disproportionate impact of ECE disruption on caregivers of children with disabilities and the need for targeted supports for these caregivers moving forward.https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221134525
spellingShingle Anna Shapiro
Daphna Bassok
Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in Virginia
AERA Open
title Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in Virginia
title_full Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in Virginia
title_fullStr Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in Virginia
title_full_unstemmed Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in Virginia
title_short Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in Virginia
title_sort supporting young children with disabilities during the covid 19 pandemic evidence from caregivers in virginia
url https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221134525
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