Financial Well-Being of Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families‪.‬

When disability is defined on the basis of functional limitations in mobility, self-care, communication, or learning, children with disabilities represent approximately 12.3 percent of the population of children ages 5 to 17 in the United States (Hogan, Msall, Rogers, & Avery 1997) or approximately 6.55 million children in 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). Children with disabilities are significantly more likely to live in poverty than other children. Twenty-eight percent of children with disabilities lived in households with income below the federal poverty level compared with 16 percent of children without disabilities (Fujiura & Yamaki, 2000). The purpose of this article is to provide a critical review and analysis of the constellation of factors that affect the financial well-being of young children with disabilities and their families. Children with disabilities are a significant proportion of the general child population, and social workers encounter these children and their families across an array of practice domains, including health and mental health settings, schools, social services agencies, and the disability service system. Social workers who understand these families' circumstances can provide responsive services to this vulnerable population.