by Jessica Schubel Senior Policy Analyst School superintendents confirm Medicaid’s key role in schools, especially for children with disabilities. In a recent survey of 1,000 superintendents , 57 percent of districts reported that they’d have trouble meeting special education mandates without Medicaid funding. That’s just one of the ways that Medicaid helps schools and children . Without Medicaid funding to cover health care costs for Medicaid-eligible children, many schools would have to cut positions and programs, not just in health care but in general education as well. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that children with disabilities have access to public education in the least restrictive environment based on their individual needs, which for some children means getting the health care services, like speech and physical therapy, they need to get an effective education. Federal IDEA funding isn’t adequate to meet the special edu
Family Voices Indiana is a family-led organization that provides information, education, training, outreach, and peer support to families of children and youth with special health care needs and the professionals who serve them.