Access and Inclusion for Children with Disabilities in Head Start: A Review of the Research and a Policy Comparison Between Head Start Standards and States
September 2026
Authors: Dr. Xigrid Soto-Boykin, Dr. Shantel Meek, Mario Cardona (JD), Dr. Brittany Alexander, Dr. Darielle Blevins, and Dr. Tunette Powell.
High quality access and inclusion for children with disabilities has been a staple of Head Start since its inception. In fact, Head Start’s commitment to children with disabilities predates the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
In Head Start, at least 10% of children enrolled must be children with disabilities, and they must be served inclusively alongside their peers. These and other requirements are codified in law. But many of the enabling conditions for high quality inclusion exist in the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS).
This report explores the research, data, and policy landscapes to understand the impacts of rolling back the Head Start Program Performance Standards on children with disabilities.
Together, the research and policy comparisons in this report illustrate the multiple conditions involved in meaningful inclusion. From access to inclusive classrooms to individualized supports, timely screening, appropriate staffing, family partnerships, and learning environments equipped to meet children's needs.
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Suggested Citation:
Soto-Boykin, X., Meek, S., Cardona, M., Alexander, B., Blevins, D., & Powell, T. (September 2026). Access and Inclusion for Children with Disabilities in Head Start: A Review of the Research and a Policy Comparison Between Head Start Standards and States. The Children's Equity Project at Arizona State University. https://cep.asu.edu/resources/access-inclusion-children-disabilities-head-start.
Related Articles:
Head Start, Dual Language Learners, and Children With Disabilities: Why Inclusive Early Learning Matters Head Start Inclusion: Why Children With Disabilities Need More Than AccessDevelopmental Screening in Head Start: What Is the 45-Day Requirement?IEP vs. IFSP: What Do They Mean for Children in Head Start?IDEA and Head Start: How Early Intervention and Special Education Work TogetherChild Care Assistance for Children With Disabilities: What the Data ShowDevelopmental Screening vs. Evaluation: What's the Difference in Early Childhood?
News Mentions:
The Washington Post | ABC News | Fox 40 | The 74 | The Seattle Times| K-12 Dive| The New York Times | The 74
Frequently Asked Questions
High-quality inclusion means that children with disabilities learn and participate alongside peers without disabilities in the early childhood programs they would otherwise attend. The report describes inclusion as involving high expectations, individualized accommodations and supports, participation in learning and social activities, strong family partnerships, and systems that help programs successfully include children with disabilities.
In the 2024–2025 program year, Head Start served 119,158 children with delays or disabilities, representing 15.3% of all children served by Head Start.
Yes. The Head Start Act requires that no less than 10% of children enrolled in a Head Start agency have a disability or be receiving early intervention services, subject to provisions governing waivers.
The report states that children with disabilities in Head Start programs receive their instruction and special education services alongside non-disabled peers. Nationally, only 43% of preschoolers with disabilities receive services in regular early childhood programs.
The research reviewed in the report finds that children with disabilities in inclusive settings can experience learning and developmental gains, including cognitive and communication gains. Research cited in the report also associates inclusive settings with stronger reading and math performance and a greater likelihood of remaining in inclusive environments later in children's academic lives.
Timely developmental screening can help identify concerns and connect children to evaluations, early intervention, or special education services sooner. Head Start standards require developmental, vision, and hearing screenings within 45 calendar days of a child's first attendance or first home visit.
For children ages 0–3 in the data examined in the report, 72% of children in Head Start received the relevant screenings in 2024, compared with 39% across state Medicaid programs on average. The report notes that the two systems serve overlapping but different populations and that Medicaid reaches a much larger population.
The report finds considerable variation. Forty-four states have general center-based licensing requirements addressing care for children with disabilities, but only five require centers to be accessible to children with disabilities. About one-third require individual activity plans or activity accommodations, and 12 require appropriate materials and equipment.
Smaller ratios can give educators greater capacity to provide individualized interaction, feedback, and support. The report notes that these conditions can be particularly important for children with disabilities who may require more individualized assistance. It finds that roughly 80% of children currently enrolled in Head Start would experience worse ratios if Head Start standards were replaced by state licensing ratios.
The report identifies substantial variation between Head Start standards and state policies in areas including accessibility, teacher-child ratios, inclusion requirements, screening timelines, accommodations, and other supports. For example, it estimates that about 80% of Head Start and Early Head Start children would experience worse teacher-child ratios under state licensing standards.