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). Use the following resources to learn more about how the IDEA requirement is being implemented to better serve young children, including State and local examples.
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.
Family Capacity-Building in Early Childhood Intervention: Do Context and Setting Matter? (PDF - 2,376 KB)
Dunst, Bruder, & Espe-Sherwindt (2014)
School Community Journal, 24(1)
Reports findings from a study investigating the effects of early intervention settings on the extent of parent involvement in Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Part C Infant and Toddler Programs in 22 States.
Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities in the Child Welfare System: What Advocates Should Know about IDEA Part C
Legal Center for Foster Care and Education (2013)
ABA Child Law Practice, 32(1)
View Abstract
Reviews provisions in the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) that pertain to early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays, changes to Part C of IDEA that emphasize the urgency of reaching eligible but underserved infants and toddlers in foster care, qualifications for services, types of services, surrogate parents, child evaluation, the Individual Family Service Plan, and transition to preschool services.
Minority Representation in Special Education: 5-Year Trends
Zhang, Katsiyannis, Ju, &Roberts (2014)
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23(8)
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Reviews an examination of the representation of minority students in special education given the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandate that States have policies and procedures in place to prevent the inappropriate identification or disproportionate representation by student race and ethnicity, the related efforts to reduce overrepresentation, and to identify trends for the 5-year period from 2004 to 2008.
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTAC)
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.
Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs: Promising Strategies in Four Communities (PDF - 1,822 KB)
Woods, Smith, & Cooper (2010)
Suggests ways to strengthen early intervention programs for infants and toddlers to reduce the long-term negative consequences of early developmental delays. The report addresses promising strategies in the areas of screening, eligibility, and support of at-risk children; staff development; interagency collaboration; and funding.
Restricting State Part C Eligibility Policy is Associated With Lower Early Intervention Utilization
McManus, Magnusson, & Rosenberg (2014)
Maternal and Child Health Journal, 18(10)
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Examines how and why restrictions on early intervention State eligibility policy may account for State differences in early intervention utilization. A review of the study and results are presented.
Trauma-Informed Part C Early Intervention: A Vision, A Challenge, A New Reality
Gilkerson, Graham, Harris, Oser, Clarke, Hairston-Fuller, & Lertora, (2013)
Zero to Three, 34(2)
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Details the need and presents a vision for a trauma-informed early intervention system, exemplified by the review of two program models that implement this vision. Recommended steps the field can take to move toward a trauma-informed early intervention system are presented.
State and local examples
Realizing the Promise of Well-Being: Longitudinal Research From an Effective Early Intervention Program for Substance Exposed Babies and Toddlers Identifies Essential Components
Katz, Ullery, & Lederman (2014)
Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 65(2)
View Abstract
Describes the growing need for early intervention services as well as the results of one successful early intervention-court partnership. The University of Miami Linda Ray Intervention Program is a Part C early intervention program for children under the age of 3 that has shown promising short- and long-term results for developmentally delayed children who were born prenatally exposed to cocaine.