Early Intervention: Improving Outcomes
Along with our partners across Pennsylvania, Allies for Children helped develop a policy agenda to improve infant and toddler early intervention services. The Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C) aims to improve child outcomes that are critical to health, optimal development, educational success, and lifelong wellbeing. This program provides early intervention (EI) services to children with disabilities as early as birth through age 2. Part C EI seeks to enhance child development, minimize the need for special education, maximize opportunities to live at home, and help families meet their child’s needs.
Early Intervention: Services and Referrals
The statewide policy agenda to improve Part C EI has identified several priorities – addressing mental health needs of infants and toddlers, achieving equitable access, and improving referrals.
Part C EI’s primary referral sources include birth hospitals, pediatric primary care providers, early care and education providers, and other health or social service providers. In addition, families may self-refer to determine eligibility. Successfully serving infants and toddlers in EI requires partnership and collaboration across programs, services, and systems.
Additional work is needed to support the preschool age component of Early Intervention (Part B). Allies for Children continues to monitor statewide and local opportunities to help improve these essential services for children and families.