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Child Welfare & IDEA Part C

The 2003 reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act included a requirement for States to refer victims of abuse and neglect up to age 3 for developmental assessments under Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Addressing the Needs of Young Children in Child Welfare: Part C -- Early Intervention Services Series Title: Bulletin for Professionals Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway Availability: View Publication Printable Version (PDF - 267 KB) Order Publication (Free - Add to Cart) Year Published: 2007 - 16 pages The Part C referral provisions in CAPTA and IDEA offer child welfare administrators an opportunity to expand the array of supports and resources for young children and their caregivers in order to enhance child well-being. This bulletin provides examples of State efforts to implement the new referral provisions and provides lessons learned about accessing early intervention services for children and families identified by the child welfare system. It includes background information about child welfare and early intervention, promising strategies, funding strategies, resources, and contact information for State and local programs.

Child Find
Child Find is a component of IDEA that requires States to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities who need early intervention or special education services. This website focuses on Part C of IDEA, the Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities, and includes examples of demonstration programs.

Interagency Collaboration: A Guidebook for Child Welfare and Part C Agencies. A Strategic Planning Tool Developed by the JFK Partners Early Identification Project (PDF - 193 KB)
Robinson, Rosenberg, & Teel (2001)
Explains services offered by Part C and child welfare agencies and emphasizes the importance of collaboration. Includes information on funding, legal processes, and the framework for collaboration between Part C and child welfare agencies.

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC)
NECTAC supports implementation of the early childhood provisions of IDEA by strengthening service systems to ensure children with disabilities (birth through 5) and their families receive and benefit from high-quality, culturally appropriate, and family-centered supports and services.

Part C Updates (PDF - 3200 KB)
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (2005)
Information about Part C program administration, including funding and Federal and State contacts; sources of State Part C rules, regulations, and policies; State eligibility definitions; survey of Part C coordinators and assistive technology; Part C data; and the full text of Part C of IDEA.

Referral for Disabilities: A New Responsibility for Child Protection (PDF - 127 KB)
Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare
Practice Notes, 16, 2005
Outlines the Minnesota referral system, which includes referrals of maltreated children to the county Interagency Early Intervention Committee.

Referral of Children Under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and IDEA 2004
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Information and resources about the CAPTA provision regarding referral of child abuse and neglect victims to early intervention services.

Updated on July 3, 2008