A Year in the Life of a Pandemic
By: Uoregon Ctn
Tags: Surveys, Rapid Ec Project, Covid 19, Health Data, Early Child Development

It is clear that, because of inequities long-built into our structures and systems, Black families have born a heavier load during the pandemic and that the stress and challenges of the last year have only widened differences between the experiences of White and Black families with young children.

3. The Pandemic has Placed Extra Weight on Families with a Child with Special Needs

Our data, and other reports, have also shown that families with a child with special needs, in which numerous economic and social disparities were documented prior to the pandemic, have experienced disproportionately greater challenges in many domains over the course of the pandemic. These families have also had less access to social and emotional supports than other families.

For example, special needs households experienced higher rates of material hardship than other households, perhaps in part due to higher expenses associated with caring for a special needs child. Rates of emotional distress for both parents and children in special needs households have also been consistently higher throughout the pandemic. In addition, there are healthcare disparities between these and other households: 50% of special needs children missed a well-baby or well-child visit, significantly more than the 39% of other households. Also, one in four children with special needs (significantly more than other children) also did not receive routine vaccinations or preventative well-child visits.

This is especially concerning for families with children with special needs where such services are essential for monitoring of developmental progress and assuring referrals for early intervention services.

In addition, while other families may have been able to access and benefit from virtual services, it is well-documented that remote service delivery for children with special needs is challenging and not optimally effective. It is thus our expectation that children with special needs will benefit from additional support and access to in-person services in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Looking forward

Although the RAPID-EC survey was born out of the need to hear the voices of families with young children during pandemic, the story lines in our data are rooted in longstanding challenges that American families with young children faced prior to the pandemic. The pandemic did not cause these issues to arise, but rather has pressurized and thrown them into relief in a way that commands the attention of the general public and its policy makers. As we look ahead to the second year of the survey and beyond, our team is focused on extending the survey in three ways:

1. Focus on key issues related to early childhood policy and programs.

We are examining four areas where emerging federal, state, and local policy are focusing. These are pillars of stability and wellbeing that all families need to thrive. Our recurrent survey will allow us to track the impact of policies on these areas of wellbeing across time.

Financial stability and relief from material hardship

and relief from material hardship Access to integrated child and family services to promote health, behavioral health, housing, education

to promote health, behavioral health, housing, education Adequate emotional support from both formal (e.g., child care, home visitation) and informal (family, friends, and other community members) sources

from both formal (e.g., child care, home visitation) and informal (family, friends, and other community members) sources Time to focus on health and wellbeing, including paid sick leave and personal time, paid vacation time, and maternity/paternity leave

2. A new recurring survey of child care providers (RAPID-CC).

It has become apparent in our RAPID-EC survey data and in information from other sources that the recovery from the pandemic, and more generally the wellbeing of young children and families in the US, is inextricably tied to child care. Families need child care so that they can return to work, and this care needs to be high-quality, safe, and flexible; and, employers need child care so that their employees can return to work. In this country, child care comes in many types: Home and center-based, regulated and unregulated formal care, and many types of informal care provided by family, friends, and neighbors.

In March of 2021, we launched the first in what will be recurring bi-monthly RAPID-CC surveys of child care providers, which will parallel our RAPID-EC surveys. The RAPID-CC surveys will fill in some of the information gaps related to how providers are faring, what they need to be successful, and whether there are subgroups based on location (rural vs. urban), race/ethnicity, and other demographics, with different needs and assets.

3. Local and other targeted surveys.

Although many of the policy decisions that will impact households with young children will be made at the federal level, the implementation of these policies (and related systems and programmatic-level changes) will occur at state, county, and community levels. As such, we are planning to initiate partnerships that will allow for surveys to be carried out in local contexts with representative participation from specific communities. In this way, the RAPID surveys will become a tool for including family and provider voices in understanding the evolving needs of households with young children and the immediateecosystems in which they exist. We also plan to oversample from specific subgroups in which disparities and inequalities continue to exist, including Black and Latinx households and providers, households with a child with special needs, and other groups.

As we enter the second year of RAPID, we recognize the power of hearing from parents of young children and child care providers. They have faced circumstances that few anticipated and have made the wellbeing of children their top priority, often risking their own health in doing so. As we continue our work, our goal remains the same: elevate their voices and celebrate their efforts.