Child Care for Low-Income Children with Disabilities: Access, Quality, and Parental Satisfaction

Abstract

Using data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, this study analyzed the similarities and differences of variables associated with child care services for low-income families with young children with disabilities and low-income families with typically developing children. Four major variables were analyzed: access to child care; maternal participation in self-sufficiency activities, such as work or education; quality of care; and parental satisfaction with care. Rates of child care utilization and maternal self sufficiency activities were similar for both groups. At age 3, however, children with disabilities received care of lower quality than their typically developing peers, and their parents were less satisfied with the child care arrangements. Policy and research implications, stressing the importance of improving child care quality for low-income children with disabilities across all types of settings, are presented.