Cutting special education-related funding for infants and toddlers with disabilities

House Bill 2688 changes the funding formula for Washington’s early support for infants and toddlers program, which provides early intervention services for eligible children with disabilities from birth to age three. Instead of using the multiplier tied to the state’s special education funding formula, the bill replaces it with a flat 1.00.

That may sound technical, but the effect is not. This bill would have reduced the funding level for special education services for very young children with disabilities by removing the higher multiplier currently used in the formula. In other words, it would have amounted to a cut in special education-related funding for infants and toddlers who depend on early intervention services.

These services are intended to help children with developmental disabilities or delays as early as possible, when intervention can make the greatest difference. Instead of strengthening support, this bill would have weakened the funding formula behind it.

Why is this a bad policy?

• It would have cut special education-related funding for infants and toddlers with disabilities. By replacing the special education multiplier with a flat 1.00, the bill would have reduced the formula tied to these services.
• It targets children at the most critical stage of development. Early intervention works best when children are at the most critical stage of development. Cutting funding at the birth-to-three stage risks long-term harm to children and families.
• It moves in the wrong direction for families already navigating serious challenges. Parents of children with disabilities often rely on early support services to help with speech, motor skills, learning, and developmental needs. This bill would have undermined that support instead of protecting it.
• It treats a funding cut like a technical adjustment. The bill is framed as a formula change, but the real-world effect would have been less support for vulnerable young children who qualify for intervention services.
• It would have put more pressure on providers and local systems. When state funding is reduced, providers and communities are left trying to do more with less, which can affect access to and quality of services.
• It sends the wrong message about priorities. Washington should be investing in children with disabilities and the services that help them thrive, not cutting back on the funding formula that supports them.

Bottom line

HB 2688 would have cut special education-related funding for infants and toddlers with disabilities by weakening the formula used to support early intervention services. That is the wrong approach for vulnerable children, their families, and the providers working to give them the strongest possible start.