Dear Colleague Letter on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Services in Head Start

The purpose of our correspondence is threefold. First, we want to remind you of the requirements under Part B of the IDEA to provide special education and related services to eligible preschool-aged children with disabilities. Second, we want to emphasize the importance of ongoing collaboration between the State educational agency (SEA), local educational agencies (LEAs), and their Head Start program partners to effectively meet IDEA requirements and ensure the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE)[3] to children with disabilities. Lastly, our letter provides resources that may be helpful under both Parts B and C of the IDEA as well as Head Start to assist you in implementing high-quality early childhood programs for all children.