The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated challenges in the early care and education (ECE) sector, including: preexisting structural flaws; insufficient funding mechanisms; sector fragmentation; inadequate support for the workforce; and inequalities, such as the lack of access to high-quality care among low-income, rural populations, and communities…

In 2009, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) produced its first "Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research" (ED509368), providing a framework to guide the efforts of federal and private funders of autism research. The "IACC Strategic Plan," developed with extensive input from a broad array of federal…

In 2009, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) launched its "Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research" (ED509368), providing a framework to guide the efforts of Federal and private funders of autism research. The "IACC Strategic Plan," developed with extensive input from a broad array of Federal and…

This article describes some of the extraordinary accomplishments of the second cohort of states to participate in the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Financing Policy Project (IECMH-FPP). The purpose of the IECMHFPP is to support states' advancement of IECMH assessment, diagnosis, and treatment policies that will contribute to the healthy…

The 2016-2017 "Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Strategic Plan" is organized around seven general topic areas that are represented in the Plan as community-focused questions (e.g., Question 1, "How can I recognize the signs of ASD, and why is early detection so important?," which covers the topic of screening…

The Combating Autism Act (CAA; Public Law 109-416) and the subsequent Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (CARA; Public Law 112-32) established an Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One responsibility of the IACC is the…

This "2018-2019 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Strategic Plan Update" is the work of the IACC membership that was appointed under the Autism CARES Act of 2014. The Committee agreed that the "2016-2017 IACC Strategic Plan" reflected a comprehensive review of the state of the field and provided a set of 23 new…

Nationally, families of color--particularly African American and American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN)--are over-represented in child welfare systems. These families also tend to have worse outcomes--such as children more likely to be removed from their homes, less likely to receive family preservation services, and in the case of African…

In 2010, the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) and Acclaro Research Solutions, Inc., on behalf of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), conducted a comprehensive analysis of the 2009 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research portfolio of major Federal agencies and private organizations. This is the second annual analysis…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects an estimated 1% of children in the United States and yet many fundamental questions about the biology of ASD, potential risk factors, effective treatments and interventions, and impacts throughout life remain unanswered. Important advances have been made in understanding the complexity of ASD, but additional…

In developing the 2010 Strategic Plan for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Research, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) updated the previous Plan to highlight the most pressing research needs and opportunities for the field today. The Plan, which must be annually updated in accordance with the Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006,…

The purpose of "Focus" is to provide coverage of poverty-related research, events, and issues, and to acquaint a large audience with the work of the Institute for Research on Poverty by means of short essays on selected pieces of research. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Changing poverty and changing antipoverty policies…