Libby Doggett, deputy assistant secretary for policy and early learning, and Ruth Ryder, deputy director of the Office of Special Education Programs will travel to North Carolina on Tuesday, May 12, to highlight early learning and the importance of providing inclusive early learning services where children with and without disabilities can learn together.
In the morning they will visit Jordan Child and Family Enrichment Center, a five star licensed early education/child care program in Raleigh to learn more about the challenges and successes of implementing an inclusive program that serves children and families with financial needs and children with developmental needs, from birth to age 5. The Jordan Center provides an environment where children feel comfortable and safe while they are engaged and challenged to learn.
Following the center visit, they will participate in a panel discussion at the 2015 National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute where the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services will release a draft policy statement, Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs. Doggett and Ryder will join other federal officials on the panel in sharing emerging information on federal early childhood policies and initiatives related to inclusive services for infants, young children and their families. The Inclusion Institute, presented by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute brings together experts from all early childhood sectors to learn, share and problem-solve about inclusion for young children.