Student participation in voucher programs has more than doubled since 2010. Despite the increasing popularity of school vouchers, education savings accounts (ESA), and tax incentive programs, many parents of children with disabilities struggle to find quality information and are left with important questions about how these programs work and might impact a child with a disability.

After examining more than 60 programs across the country — including school vouchers, education saving accounts, and tax incentive programs — we identified three major hurdles facing families of students with disabilities: the potential loss of federal civil rights protections; lack of access to information; and added costs.

To help parents and policymakers navigate discussions about these programs and make decisions for their child, NCLD’s new series provides a number of resources:

• School Vouchers, Education Savings Accounts, and Tax Incentives: Implications and Considerations for Students with Disabilities, examining three types of programs and drawing from real examples to demonstrate the potential pitfalls for students with disabilities and their families;
• School Vouchers, Education Savings Accounts, and Tax Incentives: The Basics, an overview of how these programs work and how common they are;
• School Vouchers, Education Savings Accounts, and Tax Incentives: Students’ Civil Rights Alert, detailing how students’ civil rights under federal laws will be impacted when students participate in these programs to attend private schools;
• School Vouchers, Education Savings Accounts, and Tax Incentives: Hidden Costs, exploring how much money these programs provide to families and how much a family may have to pay out of pocket; and
• School Vouchers, Education Savings Accounts, and Tax Incentives: 6 Questions Parents Should Ask, helping parents navigate this topic with critical questions to ask when exploring educational options for their child.
  

NCLD’s priority is ensuring that parents and policymakers have access to accurate information, enabling them to make informed decisions. We look forward to continuing to provide parents and educators the tools and information necessary to enable the 1 in 5 children with learning and attention issues to succeed.