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Family-oriented early intervention policies and practices: family-centered or not?
C J Dunst1, C Johanson, C M Trivette
1Family, Infant and Preschool Program, Western Carolina Center, Morganton, NC.
Exceptional Children
|October 1, 1991
Summary
Contemporary family-centered early intervention policies show progress, yet gaps persist. Analysis reveals a trend toward family-centered practices, but discrepancies exist between policy and real-world implementation.
Area of Science:
- Early Intervention
- Family-Centered Practices
- Policy Analysis
Background:
- Family-centered approaches are crucial in early intervention.
- Understanding the alignment of policies and practices is essential for effective service delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the extent to which contemporary family-oriented early intervention policies and practices are family-centered.
- To synthesize findings across federal, state, and provider/consumer levels.
Main Methods:
- Multimethod and multisource analysis.
- Review of federal laws and legislation.
- Examination of state-level policy positions.
- Inclusion of service provider and consumer viewpoints.
Main Results:
- Evidence indicates a general movement towards adopting family-centered early intervention policies and practices.
- Discrepancies were identified between state policymakers' and "street-level" providers/consumers' perceptions of current practices.
Conclusions:
- While progress towards family-centered early intervention is evident, implementation gaps remain.
- Addressing the discrepancies between policy and practice is key to fully realizing family-centered care.