|
A Response to Today's Events
DEC Members and Interested Partners, DEC is aware of the OMB memorandum issued last night about the pause in federal aid and grants. The memo is available here for your information. As of now, there are many questions and very few answers. We are expecting guidance from OSEP later today about implications for the programs under IDEA.
Based on many conversations with our partners today, it is likely there will be several lawsuits filed today challenging the authority of the Administration to implement these provisions.
DEC will continue to follow this and provide updates as these become available.
In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions.
DEC is offering two opportunities to join a Special Edition of Coffee Chat tomorrow (Wednesday, January 29th, 2025) at 12:00 PM Eastern and 5:00 PM Eastern. We may not have anything new to share, but we realize that sometimes we need to speak out loud our concerns within our community.
| | | |
DEC2025 - Division for Early Childhood's 41st Annual International Conference on Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families | |
Call for Conference Proposals
The Division for Early Childhood is accepting proposals for the 41st Annual International Conference on Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families, happening Tuesday, October 7th - Friday, October 10th, 2025, in Portland, Oregon. Be part of a global event focused on advancing early childhood practices and supporting young children with disabilities and their families. Proposals are due by Tuesday, February 18th, 2025, 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Get started here.
Call for Reviewers
We need you! DEC is seeking reviewers from the fields of inclusive education, early intervention, and early childhood special education to support the conference proposal review process. Anyone may apply to be a conference proposal reviewer. DEC seeks a proposal review group consisting of individuals who have professional and lived experience, and who show a capacity to bring a racial equity lens to the work. Reviewer applications are due Tuesday, February 11th, 2025, 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Volunteer to review here.
Call for DEC Conference Advisors
DEC seeks three program advisors for the DEC 2025 conference. Program advisors work with the DEC team to advise and assist in various aspects of the content, theming, and flow of the conference. We seek DEC members that reflect the diversity of the field. We hope to recruit: a member working in higher education and/or research; a professional currently working in in early childhood programs; and a family member/family leader. Time commitment is estimated to range from one to four hours per month from January to October 2025. Apply here by February 1st, 2025, 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
| | | |
|
Call for Co-Editors: DEC Monograph Series – Issue 1
DEC is recruiting co-editors to share their talents and the work necessary to relaunch the DEC Monograph Series starting with Issue 1. The focus of Issue 1 will be on children’s behaviors that adults perceive as challenging. Co-editors will serve an approximate 18-month term beginning February 2025. Co-editor positions are available as part-time roles, either 50% or 25% of a traditional time commitment for co-editors.
DEC is committed to developing new approaches to publishing monographs that result in a more just, equitable, inclusive, and diverse process and product. A monograph advisory group, consisting of DEC committee members and journal editors, is committed to collaborating with Issue 1 co-editors to achieve these aims. Additional resources provided to Issue 1 co-editors include: 1) copy-editing assistance, 2) support from the DEC Executive Office, 3) an automated system to facilitate reminders to authors and reviewers, and 4) support from an editorial fellow. The recruitment deadline is Thursday, February 13th, 2025, 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Learn more here.
| | | |
|
Upcoming Events
DEC Inclusion, Equity, and Social Justice Community of Practice
Tuesday, January 28th, 2025, 4:00 to 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Register here. Join us to learn more about a new DEC CoP! The DEC Inclusion Equity and Social Justice CoP hopes to bring together individuals committed to growth and learning around equity, inclusion, and social justice issues within the early care and education field. This CoP is designed to center the experiences and outcomes of those most marginalized within our community and to help members use principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice in their own work. Join us to share your ideas on what’s needed to make this CoP useful to you and to learn more about what’s next!
DEC Family Partnership Community of Practice Special Meeting
Thursday, January 30th, 2025, 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Register here. Join us to learn more about the DEC Conference! DEC's Annual Conference is taking place in Portland, Oregon from October 7th through 10th, 2025. We will be discussing family registration waivers, scholarship opportunities, and how to be a presenter. All are welcome - family members and professionals, DEC members and non-members.
| |  |
|
DEC Family and Policy & Advocacy Committee Joint Webinar: Lifting ALL Family Voices to Impact EC Policy, Procedures, & Practices
Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, 6:00 to 7:00 PM Eastern Time Register here. This webinar, Lifting ALL Family Voices to Impact EC Policy, Procedures, & Practices, brings together a diverse panel of family advocates to explore the crucial role of family input in shaping early childhood (EC) education policies, practices, and procedures. By addressing the challenges families encounter when striving to be heard in educational decision-making, the panel will discuss ways in which current EC policies impact service access, areas where inclusive decision-making can be enhanced, and how cultural and linguistic factors influence participation. Learn more.
| |
Call for Community of Practice Co-Facilitator
Research Community of Practice
The DEC Research Community of Practice (Research CoP) is recruiting a new co-facilitator to assist existing facilitator, Jessica Amsbary, in her duties. This is an opportunity for existing Research CoP members to level up their leadership and help ensure the sustainability of the CoP through future leadership transitions. Learn more here.
| | |
|
DEC Young Exceptional Children Article Highlight
From Policy to Practice: Evolving Inclusion for Young Children With Disabilities written by Jaleesa Steward, MEd
"As an administrator in special education, stepping into the
classroom often reveals a clear separation between young children with disabilities and their peers. This division is not merely physical but represents a deeper gap in opportunity, engagement, and understanding. Promoting inclusion goes beyond placing a child in a classroom. In my experience, it requires transforming systems, practices, and mindsets to truly meet the needs of all children (Soukakou et al., 2024).
As a Black woman leading in a predominantly White
district, I understand what it means to be in spaces where you may not feel understood. This positionality shapes my commitment to creating inclusive environments for both students and educators. I know how it feels to be misunderstood or overlooked, which drives my desire to ensure that every child is fully accepted and supported. Leading in inclusion means challenging assumptions, equipping educators, and
focusing on equity. While federal changes may be slow, we must take
action now to make inclusion effective (Bipath et al., 2021)."
This article, written by Jaleesa Steward, MEd, Director of Special Education for Compliance, Academy School District 20 and Doctoral Student, University of Colorado Denver, is available for a limited time. Read the full article here. This article was originally published in Young Exceptional Children (YEC), a DEC Journal. Access to YEC is free for all DEC members - join CEC & DEC here.
| | | |
Division for Early Childhood
of the Council for Exceptional Children
| |
| | | |
