Child Count Management
Each year, every state deafblind project updates its annual child count, providing information about new children identified over the course of the year, updating or confirming information on currently active children, and determining those who have exited special education or are no longer eligible to receive state project services. NCDB compiles and aggregates the data to create the National Child Count of Children and Youth Who Are Deafblind, which serves as a common vehicle to meet federal grant requirements for both the state projects and NCDB.
NCDB provides an array of technical assistance to state projects related to conducting their annual child counts, including:
- Materials, such as instructions, forms, resources about confidentiality, and a “Dear Colleague” letter from OSEP
- Webinars
- Training on data management
- One-on-one consultations
- Custom analyses and reports
Questions?
Contact Carlie Rhoads at any time to discuss your needs.
Carlie's Drop-in Office Hours: Thursdays, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Google Meeting Room
No appointment is necessary, but let Carlie know at least a week in advance if you will need CART (live captioning) or interpreting.
Collecting
One of the main administrative tasks for state deafblind projects is collecting and maintaining information for the deafblind child count (also referred to as a “census”). Annual child count outreach activities improve local early intervention and education agency engagement with your project and increase the likelihood that individuals, families, and districts will report children to include on the December 1 deafblind child count.
All state systems are different, so projects need to determine the best methods to gather information within their own states. Refer to Child Count Tips for New State Deaf-Blind Project Staff for suggested activities throughout the year.
Resources
Confidentiality and Student Privacy
Child Count Tips for New State Deaf-Blind Project Staff
General Tips and Considerations for Finding Children
Example Referral/Eligibility Forms
OSEP Letter for States in Support of Child Count Efforts
Rebecca Sheffield Support Letter
Reporting
Updated September 1, 2023
The Deafblind Child Count is a point-in-time snapshot that reflects individuals identified and eligible for services from state deafblind projects on December 1 of the current reporting period (December 2, 2022 - December 1, 2023).
Extensive revisions were made to DBCC variables in 2020 and minor ones in 2022 and 2023. All have been incorporated into the "2023 National Deaf-Blind Child Count: Instructions, Codebook, and Quick Reference Table" linked to the right.
Contact Carlie Rhoads with any questions.
Ready to submit your data?
Data submission window: March 15 - May 1
The final due date is May 1, 2024.
Steps for Reporting
- Review any updates above.
- Download the Reporting Materials and carefully review the instructions.
- Collect your data. If you have questions during collection, contact Carlie Rhoads.
- Check your data file to make sure the fields and data are correctly labeled and coded.
- Export the data into a .csv, .xls, or .xlsx format.
- During the submission window period, go to the Deafblind Child Count Data Submission page and follow the instructions to submit your data file. Do not submit your file by email.
Reporting Materials
Download and save documents before reviewing codes. Viewing in your web browser may skew the numbering.
Essential Resources:
Additional Resources:
- Deaf-Blind Child Count Sample Spreadsheet
- Guidance on Reporting Ethnicity and Race (Word)
- Deaf-Blind Child Count Change Log (2007-2023) (Word) – An annual log documenting year-to-year changes made to the child count. Use it to check that your data codes match current or previous changes.
Presentations
Analyzing
The deafblind child count data provides national and state-specific information that can be analyzed to identify service and training needs. Alone, specific data may not provide a complete picture, but when combined with or compared to other data, may reveal trends for further investigation. There are several resources available to help analyze child count data.