Racial inequities exist in all systems, including social service systems mandated to support all families regardless of race. One such system is the federally funded Part C early intervention program that provides home visiting services to families of infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities. Indiana’s Part C program, First Steps, serves over 20,000 families each year in their home, offering an array of services (e.g., speech, physical, occupational, and developmental therapy) at little or no cost based on family income. While differences between White and Black families have been included in federal reports (e.g., child outcomes, rates of exiting early), these differences have never been systematically examined to determine if major inequities exist across the First Steps system. State leaders have expressed interest in gathering this information but have not had the capacity to do so in the past. A systematic investigation of racial inequities in Indiana could provide a baseline and template for further investigations.
To that end, this research examined First Steps through an equity lens and determined how well the program engages both Black and White families at each major step in the service system, including initial access to the system through referrals, the initial intake process, child evaluation and eligibility determination, development of individual service plans, service provision, and system exit.
Exploring Racial Equity in Indiana's Early Intervention System
