Additional Resources and Information

Housing Circumstances of Parents with Disabilities within the Child Welfare System

This study examined the housing circumstances of parents with disabilities in the child welfare system, with particular attention to race/ethnicity and disability. It found that parents with disabilities experienced higher likelihood of inadequate housing than parents without disabilities and that Black parents with disabilities experienced increased risk for inadequate housing compared to Black parents without a disability.

Residency Differences Between Fathers With and Without Disabilities in the United States

This study examines the residential status of fathers by their disability status and explores whether fathers' residence with their children varies by different types of disability.

Prevalence of Parents with Disabilities in the United States

Researchers used American Community Survey 5-year data, 2016–2020, to gain accurate, detailed, and up-to-date information on the prevalence and characteristics of parents with disabilities, including racial and ethnic background and disability types. This information is necessary to implement adequate policies for disabled parents and their families.

Parent-Centered Planning: A new model for working with parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Researchers describe a model focused on parents that can be used by formal services systems, which often don’t acknowledge that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are increasingly becoming parents. As a result of failing to acknowledge this reality, these systems focus on these adults as individuals rather than also as parents or caregivers.

Behavioral and Cognitive Outcomes of Young Children in the United States Whose Mothers Have Intellectual Disabilities

The children of mothers with intellectual disabilities are more likely to have behavioral and cognitive difficulties than their counterparts without intellectual disabilities. It is likely that systemic factors, like poverty, lower educational attainment, and discrimination, contribute to these disparities. This research summary outlines some of the struggles these families encounter and methods that policymakers can use to help address these inequities.

The Economic Status of Parents with Serious Mental Illness in the United States

This research brief contains information on the socioeconomic status of parents with mental illness in the United States.

National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities Priorities Survey

The National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities surveyed 109 people—parents with disabilities and people who support them—to identify priorities for our future work. Respondents provided recommendations to address some of the challenges they experience. Their recommendations highlight three themes: training for professionals, peer support and community inclusion, and adaptive strategies and equipment.

Parents With and Without Disabilities: Demographics, Material Hardship, and Program Participation

Parents with disabilities and their children encounter significant economic hardships, including unstable housing, food insecurity, and difficulty paying their bills. This study outlines ways that researchers, policymakers, and program coordinators can develop programs and supports for low-income parents with disabilities and their families.

Strategies and Resources for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Parents: A Scoping Review

Very little information exists about raising children as a deaf or hard-of-hearing parent—especially for hard-of-hearing parents, since most available articles and resources are geared toward hearing parents of DHH children, rather than DHH parents. DHH parents are already socially marginalized and have difficulty finding accessible information. These disparities sharply reduce opportunities for DHH parents to learn how to raise their children.