Needs of and Supports for African American and European American Caregivers of Young Children with Special Needs in Urban and Rural Settings

Abstract

In this study, the authors compared the self-reported needs of and sources of supports for African American and European American caregivers of young children with disabilities living in urban and rural areas. One hundred twenty caregivers of young children in one state's early intervention (EI) system responded to two instruments, the Family Needs Scale (Dunst, Cooper, Weeldreyer, Snyde, & Chase, 1987) and the Family Support Scale (Dunst, Jenkins, & Trivette, 1996). African American and European American caregivers differed significantly regarding family needs, whereas urban and rural caregivers differed significantly on the overall level of support they reported. Interactional effects were also found. EI systems must take into account such differing needs and sources of support when developing policies and services for young children with disabilities and their families.

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