Worcester, MA: "Demand for early childhood services continues to grow"

May 4, 2026, Worcester schools receive state grant to expand early childhood special education access | The Worcester Guardian

Worcester Public Schools is getting a state grant aimed at improving how young children with disabilities access special education services, part of a broader effort to bring those supports into community preschool settings.

The funding, announced by the Healey-Driscoll administration, allocates $10,373 to Worcester as part of a $250,000 statewide initiative supporting 14 school districts. The grants are designed to help districts build partnerships with community-based preschool providers and develop new ways to deliver individualized education program, or IEP, services.

For Worcester, the funding is expected to support planning, professional development and collaboration between school officials, early education providers and families, with a focus on meeting children where they are — rather than requiring them to transition into separate settings for services. . . .

The program, known as the Preschool Itinerant Team Initiative, encourages districts to develop “traveling teams” of educators and specialists who can deliver services directly in community preschool classrooms. State officials say the approach can reduce barriers for families and improve coordination between providers. . . .

The Worcester funding comes as districts across Massachusetts grapple with how to provide consistent early childhood special education services outside traditional public school settings. Community-based preschools — which many families rely on for child care — often lack the resources to independently deliver those services.

State education leaders said the grants are intended to address those gaps by supporting collaboration and long-term planning.

“These districts will receive family engagement support, professional development, and assistance with establishing strong partnerships within their districts,” Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez said in the announcement. “Through effective partnerships, teams will support delivery of IEP services in community-based preschool settings.”

The initiative builds on the administration’s broader early education agenda, which has emphasized expanding access to pre-kindergarten programs and improving inclusion for children with disabilities.

“Research finds consistently that access to high quality pre-K leads to students needing fewer special education services and entering kindergarten more prepared,” Education Secretary Steve Zrike said in the announcement.

In Worcester, where demand for early childhood services continues to grow, the grant represents a relatively small but targeted investment in improving access for families navigating the special education system.

The state said participating districts will also receive training and ongoing support, including coaching and opportunities to collaborate with communities that have already implemented similar models.