Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Recommendation
Congress should fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure that all eligible children, including those with serious mental health conditions, receive the special education services they need to succeed academically.[1][2]
Background/summary
Approximately one in six U.S. children aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year,[3][4] and the number of youth diagnosed with anxiety and depression has been increasing steadily.[5] The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities, including those with serious mental health conditions, and ensures access to special education and related services.[6] More than 7.5 million infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities are eligible for early intervention, special education, and related services through IDEA.[6]
When passed in 1975, IDEA was to cover 40 percent of the increased costs of special education.[7] Yet, funding never reached that level and currently covers just 14.6 percent of the cost.[7] Funding for programs and resources through the Act has declined for nearly two decades.[8] As the number of children with serious mental health conditions increases, it is increasingly critical that the IDEA is fully funded so they can receive special education services.
citations
1. CEO Alliance for Mental Health. A Unified Vision for Transforming Mental Health and Substance Use Care. Last Updated August 2022.
2. The Kennedy Forum. Navigating The New Frontier of Mental Health and Addiction: A Guide for the 115th Congress. Last Updated January 2017.
3. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Mental Health by the Numbers. Last Updated April 2023.
4. Whitney, Daniel G. and Mark D. Peterson. 2019. “US National and State-Level Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders and Disparities in Mental Health Care Use in Children.” JAMA Pediatrics 173(4):389-391. Last Updated February 11, 2019.
5. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health. Last Updated March 8, 2023.
6. U.S. Department of Education. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Last Accessed July 27, 2023.
7. National Center for Learning Disabilities. IDEA Full Funding: Why Should Congress Invest in Special Education? Last Accessed July 27, 2023.
8. Funding Early Childhood is the Right IDEA Act. H.R.6532 (DeSaulnier-Davis) and S.3544 (Hassan), 117th Congress (2021-2022). Last Updated February 1, 2022.