1. Part C/Early Start Overview
New State SELPA Directors
January 18, 2017

2. Federal and California Laws
Federal Law Initially established Part C in 1986 (in Public Law ) to extend supports and services to children birth to three years at the discretion of each state
Officially an optional program…however, all states currently participate
Several communities in CA were serving infants long before 1986
California amended the Ed Code in 1980 to maintain services by public school agencies that were already providing services often County Offices of Education
Lanterman Act established Regional Centers of California in Services to children from birth was written into this act and is applied to the Department of Developmental Services and its local representatives, the regional center.
Part C is called Early Start in California

3. Current Purposes of Part C*/Early Start
Enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, minimize the potential for developmental delay, and recognize the significant brain development that occurs during a child’s first 3 years of life
Enhance the capacity of families to meet their child’s needs
Reduce educational costs by minimizing the need for special education through early intervention
Maximize the potential for individuals with disabilities to live independently in society
Enhance the capacity of state and local agencies and service providers to identify, evaluate, and meet the needs of all children, particularly minority, low-income, inner city and rural children, and infants and toddlers in foster care
(20 U.S.C.§ 1431 (a) (1.5)
*Based on changes made by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (P.L )

4. Differences between IDEA Part C and B
Part B (starting at age 3)
Part C (birth to 3)
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
IEP team with the equal involvement of all
Measurable child goals
Least restrictive environment
Special Education services: related services if needed may include extended school year
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
IFSP team focus on parent priorities
Child outcomes and family outcomes
Natural environments
Early interventions must include service coordination year round services

5. Part C Services and Oversight
Lead Agency
States must designate a lead agency to receive the grant and administer the program [20 U.S.C. § 1435 (a) (10)]
Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is the lead agency in California
The Early Start Program is implemented by 21 Regional Centers, SELPAs and over 50 family resources centers
LEAs are responsible for serving children with solely low incidence disabilities (vision, hearing, or orthopedic impairments)

6. Part C Services and Oversight
Interagency Coordinating Council
Appoint an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC), including parents of children with disabilities, to advise and assist the lead agency [20 U.S.C. § (a) (15)]
Members are appointed by the governor
The group meets 4 times per year

7. DDS Eligibility for Early Start
Infants and toddlers from birth to age 36 months may be eligible for early intervention services through Early Start if, through documented evaluation and assessment, they meet one of the criteria listed below:
have a developmental delay of at least 33% in one or more areas of either
cognitive,
communication,
social or emotional, adaptive, or
physical and motor development including vision and hearing; or
have an established risk condition of known etiology, with a high probability of resulting in delayed development; or
be considered at high risk of having a substantial developmental disability due to a combination of biomedical risk factors of which are diagnosed by qualified personnel
California Government Code: Section 95014(a)
California Code of Regulations: Title 17, Chapter 2, Section 52022
Effective January 2015

8. LEA Title V Regulation 3031 Eligibility
The child has a developmental delay as determined by a significant difference between the expected level of development for their age and their current level of functioning in one or more of the following five developmental areas:
1. cognitive development;
2. physical and motor development, including vision and hearing;
3. communication development;
4. social or emotional development; or
5. adaptive development.
A significant difference is defined
as a 33 percent delay in one developmental area before 24 months of age, or,
at 24 months of age or older, either a delay of 50 percent in one developmental area or a 33 percent delay in two or more developmental areas.
(B) The child has a disabling medical condition or congenital syndrome which the IFSP team determines has a high predictability of requiring intensive special education and services.
Effective July 1, 2014

9. IDEA Part C/Early Start
Evaluation must include
timely, comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation of each infant or toddler with a disability and
family-directed identification of the needs of each family of such an infant or toddler, to assist appropriately in the development of the infant or toddler [20 U.S.C. § 1435 (a) (3)]
Must be completed within 45 calendar days year round
Referrals can be made be the following:
Anyone can make a referral, including parents, medical care providers, neighbors, family members, foster parents, and day care providers.
If the child has a visual impairment, hearing impairment, or severe orthopedic impairment, or any combination of these, the school district does the evaluation and provides the early intervention services if the child is eligible.

10. Early Start Services
Designed to meet the individual needs of each infant or toddler and needs of the family
Services must be provided in natural environments to the maximum extent possible [20 U.S.C. § 1435 (a) (16) (a) (b)]
Are provided to families by qualified personnel
Include transition to appropriate services at three years of age
Effective July 1, 2011, parents whose adjusted gross family income is at or above 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL), and who are receiving qualifying services through a regional center for their children ages 0-18, shall be assessed an Annual Family Program Fee (AFPF) as prescribed by Welfare and Institutions Code, Section (California Legislative Information, Welfare and Institutions Code).
Parents of children under 3 must ask their private insurance or health care service plan to pay for medical services covered by the insurance or plan.

11. Natural environments What are natural environments?
Places where a child and family would spend their time if the child did not have a delay or a disability.
Commonly this means at home or in childcare, but it can mean at the neighborhood park, at relatives homes or other locations.
Why natural environment?
Infants and toddlers learn within the context of their everyday activities. For example, infants and toddlers learn words associated with people, things, food and toys they want within their everyday environment.
Parents are central to the development of young children. To help early intervention practitioners know how to best support parents, it is important for practitioners to see and work with children and families in the environments where they spend their time.
When services are provided in natural environments practitioners identify the supports parents and other primary care givers will need to meet a child’s needs in everyday activities and to maximize a child’s independents functioning in these environments.

12. Early Intervention Services
Based on the child's assessed developmental needs and the families concerns and priorities as determined by each child's Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) team, early intervention services may include:
Assistive Technology
Physical Therapy
Audiology
Psychological services
Family training, counseling and home visits
Service coordination (case management)
Health services
Social Work services
Medical services for diagnostic/evaluation purposes only
Special Instruction
Nursing services
Speech and Language Services
Nutrition services
Transportation and related costs
Occupational Therapy
Vision services
“Respite” is only provided to enable the parents to participate in early intervention services such as a training session. (July 2011)

13. DRDP 2015 Infants/Toddlers
Dracess.org
The DRDP (2015) is administered in natural settings through teacher observations, family observations, and examples of children’s work.
Ongoing documentation of children’s knowledge and skills in everyday environments is a recommended practice for early childhood assessment.
A full continuum of development from early infancy up to kindergarten entry. It has two views: the Infant/Toddler view for use with children in infant/toddler programs, and the Preschool View, for children in preschool programs.
The DRDP (2015) includes domains that meet the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) child outcome reporting requirements for children with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) or Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

14. State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP)
The SSIP is a multi-year, achievable plan that:
Increases capacity of early intervention programs to implement, scale up, and sustain evidence-based practices
Improves outcomes for children with disabilities (and their families)
The SSIP is a required indicator of the Annual Performance Report (APR)
The SSIP was added to the APR to help states focus on analyzing their current system and redesigning infrastructure as necessary to improve child outcomes
As a result of this shift, each state was asked to develop its own State Systemic Improvement Plan or SSIP. The SSIP itself is a comprehensive, ambitious, yet achievable multiyear plan for improving results for children with disabilities.
The SSIP represents a brand-new reporting component, or “Indicator,” of the Annual Performance Report, which all States must submit each year to the Office of Special Education Programs, or OSEP.
OSEP added the SSIP to the APR to help States focus on child outcomes. States were instructed to analyze their child and family outcomes data, existing infrastructure, and their ability to enhance this infrastructure to increase the capacity of local early intervention programs, all in order to improve outcomes.
In California, the SSIP was developed with help from Early Start stakeholders, including parents and providers, and staff from regional centers, family resource centers, and local education agencies. Support was provided by staff from the Department of Developmental Services and the California Department of Education.
This task force has assisted the department at each phase of the SSIP

15. California’s SiMR
California’s State-identified Measurable Result (SiMR)
Increase the percentage of infants and toddlers with disabilities in California who will substantially increase their rate of growth in positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships) by the time they exit the early intervention program.
Earlier in this presentation, we mentioned that each State was required to choose a specific child outcomes area to focus on, and develop a plan to improve said outcome area. This is called a SiMR, a State-identified Measurable Result.
After reviewing California’s Early Start data and infrastructure, Early Start stakeholders, in partnership with staff from the Department of Developmental Services and the California Department of Education, chose to focus on social-emotional outcomes for the SSIP.
Specifically, they chose to increase the percentage of infants and toddlers with disabilities in California who will substantially increase their rate of growth in positive social-emotional skills, including social relationships, by the time they exit the early intervention program.

16. Transition at Three Years of Age
Early Start Overview: Brief
Updated July 2015
Transition at Three Years of Age
Part C/Early Start requires the family to be informed about the transition that will occur when the child turns three years of age
Transition services are intended to support and prepare families and their child to exit Early Start and enter new services if needed at three years of age
Starting no later than age two years, nine months, children begin to transition from one system to the other
Transition options
Special Education preschool under Part B and/or
Ongoing regional center services and/or
Community options
Child Care
Private preschool, Head Start, State Preschool
Remaining at home with the family
Other unique options in a community
Transition to appropriate services at age three
Most children need to move to a different system at age 3, either to special education -- if eligible -- or out of specialized services. IDEA Part C mandates that the Early Start system work together with the special education system to ensure a smooth transition for the child and family.
More information is available in the publication, Effective Early Childhood Transitions,
2015 update
California Map to Inclusion and Belonging

17. Meeting About Transition
Transition at Age Three
November 1, 2007
Meeting About Transition
The conference is attended by
The Family
The California Early Start service coordinator (which may be from the local regional center or infant program)
Infant-toddler early intervention service providers and
The receiving local education agency (LEA) representative
Other attendees may include friends or advocates invited by the family, a community preschool teacher/child care provider, and other agency personnel as appropriate
For more information see the publication Effective Early Childhood Transitions
Sometimes this meeting is held earlier (at two and one-half years), but not later than two years nine months.
This meeting is usually convened by the service coordinator. The family can let the service coordinator know that they would like their child’s community early educator (community preschool teacher, family child care provider, other caregiver) to attend the meeting. This information is bolded in the text to remind the early educators that they can attend the meeting.
California Map to Inclusive Child Care

18. Early Start Comprehensive System of Personnel Development
CEITAN—the California Early Intervention Technical Assistance Network—offers a wealth of training, technical assistance and support to agencies and programs that deliver early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. A program of the WestEd Center for Prevention & Early Intervention, CEITAN administers the Early Start Institute, which:
Addresses early intervention foundational competencies and skill building for Early Start service coordinators and early interventionists;
Provides comprehensive, in-person professional development and networking opportunities for the entire Early Start community;
Coordinates Effective Practice symposia and special topic trainings on topics such as assessment and evaluation, natural environments, and family issues

19. Family Resource Centers (FRCs) Network of California
Early Start Family Resource Centers (ESFRC)  provide parent to parent support, outreach, information and referral services to families of children with disabilities and the professionals who serve them. 
All ESFRCS serve families of children birth to three and many have enhanced funding which allows them to serve families of children over the age of three and individuals with developmental disabilities.
Approximately 50 FRCs are funded by the Department of Developmental Services.
Staffed by families of children with special needs, family resource centers offer parent-to-parent support and help parents, families, and children locate and use needed services.
They offer support services and resources in many languages, which may include newsletters, resource libraries, websites, parent-to-parent groups, sibling support groups, and information and referral for parents and professionals

20. Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)
Assist states in developing high-quality EI/ECSE systems and services to enhance the outcomes of all young children and their families
The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center is a national center funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to support early intervention and preschool special education programs and practitioners. The ECTA Center assists states in building effective, efficient systems; scaling up and sustaining effective services; and, promoting research-based interventions for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities and their families.

21. Early Start Overview: Brief
Updated July 2015
For More Information
Websites
Map to Inclusion and Belonging:
Early Start:
DDS Birth to 36 Months:
Early Start Resources (materials at no cost)
Other:
Early Childhood Special Education Handbooks:
Effective Early Childhood Transitions
California Map to Inclusion and Belonging

22. Infant Program Funding Resource 6510
Units initially allocated to programs with 1980 mandate (30 EC 56425)
The entitlement for the infant program equals the sum of all numbers of instructional personnel service units a SELPA allocates to its local educational agencies (LEAs) or LEA(s) of another SELPA,
multiplied by the base rate of the type of classroom setting, plus the cost of aide(s) for each type of class.
A 1.02% COLA increase is applied to the calculation for the 2015–16 fiscal year.
The three classroom settings in which infants are served include: (1) Special Day Class (SDC): Severe/Non-Severe (2) Resource Specialist Program (RSP), (3) Designated Instruction and Service (DIS)

23. To locate Infant Unit Allocation on the CDE website:
Click on: Finance and Grants/Allocations & Apportionments/Special Education ( then click on Infant

24. Part C, Early Education Programs Resource 3385
In 1986, the federal government enacted PL , which authorized grants to states to plan and implement a comprehensive, community-based interagency system of early education services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The lead agency for Part C of IDEA is the DDS.
State legislation (The California Early Intervention Services Act - Government Code [GC] §s et. seq.) enabled California to participate in the Part C program and created a statewide mandate for LEAs to serve all infants and toddlers with solely low incidence disabilities. Must serve SLI students first then serve up to your required capacity, if you have a required capacity.
Allocated to SELPAs who:
Meet Budget Act eligibility
Have excess required and supplemental costs
Funding Results spreadsheet located at

25. Infant Discretionary Funds Resource 6515
Established in Ed Code in 1987
Currently funds are used to address additional needs for Part C funds ( Pay the Amendment requests first- this is why the money varies from year to year)
Remainder allocated on a per child basis
Allocation methods
Part C – approved costs
Per pupil – (prior year Dec 1 count) x (per pupil amount)
Funding Results spreadsheet located at

26. Questions?