Addressing the Needs of Young Children in Child Welfare: Part C—Early Intervention Services

Early intervention services support young children who experience developmental challenges or the effects of early adverse experiences. In partnership with families, these services nurture children's healthy development by addressing individual needs and strengths.

The Part C referral provisions in the 2003 reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 opened the door to an ongoing collaboration between child welfare and early intervention service providers to benefit children birth to age 3 involved in substantiated cases of abuse or neglect. This collaboration can expand the array of early intervention supports for children and their caregivers to help children remain safely in their homes, stabilize placements, and improve child and family well-being. 

This bulletin provides child welfare professionals with a step-by-step overview of the Part C process. It shares strategies for partnering with early intervention service providers and families to promote early intervention and foster children's healthy development.  

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