The Effects of Family Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status on Quality of Services and Family Outcomes for Families Participating in Part C Early Intervention Programs

by Lalinde, Paula Sue

This study investigated the association between family socioeconomic status, family race/ethnicity, quality of services and the impact of those services on the family for families who had participated in a northeastern states IDEA, Part C Early Intervention Program. Data for this study came from 1,108 families who responded to a survey distributed by the states Early Intervention Program. The survey contained two Rasch-based measurement scales designed to yield measures of family perceptions of the quality of early intervention services they had received and the impact of those services on their family. Results of the study indicated that measures of quality of services were significantly and positively related to family outcomes. However, neither family race/ethnicity nor socioeconomic status was associated with quality of services. Results related to the strong association between quality of services and positive family outcomes are interpreted in light of previous research on the outcomes of family-centered care models. Results related to the parity of service quality across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups are interpreted in relation to two important characteristics of high-quality programs: cultural competency and service coordination.