Supporting Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families: Collaboration Between the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C Programs. Executive Summary. December 2024 - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Topic Areas: Early Childhood

Issue Briefs | Executive Summary

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF E DUCATION S UPPORTING INFANTS AND T ODDLERS WITH D ISABILITIES AND T HEIR F AMILIES : C OLLABORATION B ETWEEN THE M ATERNAL , INFANT , AND E ARLY C HILDHOOD H OME V ISITING AND THE I NDIVIDUALS WITH D ISABILITIES EDUCATION A CT P ART C P ROGRAMS E XECUTIVE SUMMARY DECEMBER 2024 COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MATERNAL , INFANT , AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING AND THE I NDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT PART C PROGRAMS 1 B ACKGROUND T he U.S. Department of Education ’s (ED) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is partnering with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in the Heath Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and share strategies on strengthening the collaboration and coordination between the Maternal, Infant, a nd Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C (IDEA Part C) Program . Collaboration between these two programs at the Federal, State, and local levels is expected to lead to improved developmental outcomes for infants and toddlers at risk for, or who have , developmental delays, through the provision of a high-quality , coordinated , and comprehensive system of services and supports for them and their families. In 2017, ED and HHS developed a j oint statement titled: Collaboration and Coordination of the Maternal, Infant, And Early Childhood Home Visiting Program and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C Programs (ED and HHS Joint Statement) . The r ecommendations presented in th e joint statement included the following : 1. Set a statewide vision for collaboration across early childhood providers . 2. Establish shared or partnering S tate organizational and leadership structures for MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs administration . 3. Build on existing interagency advisory groups , such as the State Interagency Coordinating Council , to explore and promote greater collaboration. 4. Develop centralized or coordinated intake, screening, and referral systems . 5. Develop policies and procedures on dual enrollment of families and their young children in MIECHV and IDEA Part C State programs when appropriate and available . 6. Identify opportunities for collaborative and coordinated service delivery for families within communities served by both MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs . 7. Expand on early childhood integrated longitudinal data systems to promote data sharing and integration across programs , including the development of data sharing agreements. 8. Utilize cross -sector professional development for staff working in MIECHV, IDEA Part C, and other early childhood programs to promote better understanding of roles across programs and provide strategies for collaborative service delivery . To further support the 2017 joint statement, OSEP and MIECHV developed a set of briefs that provide updated recommendations for State administrators, providers, and families to continue strengthening collaborative relationships. COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MATERNAL , INFANT , AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING AND THE I NDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT PART C PROGRAMS 2 PURPOSE OF THE ISSUE B RIEFS Each issue brief address es a specific topic central to improving coordination and collaboration across MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs; provide s examples of relevant State activities ; and is framed within the requirements of IDEA and key principles of the MIECHV Program authorization language . The issue briefs are: • ENHANCING REFERRAL M ECHANISMS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH D ISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES : Strengthening Collaboration between the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) . • OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION TO IMPROVE SERVICES FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES : Collaboration between the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to Strengthen Social Emotional Development and Mental Health . • EMPOWERING EA R LY CHILDHOOD PERSONNEL THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING : Strengthening Cross -Sector Professional Development between the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) . O VERVIEW OF THE M AT E R N A L , IN FA NT , AND EA R LY CHILDHOOD H OME V ISITING (MIECHV) PROGRAM AND THE INDIVIDUALS WITH D ISABILITIES EDUCATION A CT PART C (IDEA P ART C) PROGRAM The MIECHV Program supports pregnant people and families with infants and toddlers who live in communities facing barriers to positive maternal and child health outcomes. Families who choose to participate in home visiting programs partner with health, social service, and child development professionals to set and achieve goals that improve their child’s and family’s health and well -being. The Program is designed to strengthen communities and improve outcomes for infants and toddlers and their families by meeting six key benchmarks . MCHB implements the MIECHV Program by providing grants to States, jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, and tribal organizations. Awardees have flexibility to select and administer evidence-based home visiting models and promising approaches based on community needs, capacity, and resources. MIECHV State/jurisdiction awardees typically contract with local implementing agencies to deliver home visiting services in alignment with model fidelity and implementation standards. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) administers the Tribal MIECHV grants . These grants go directly to tribal organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate home visiting programs in Tribal communities. COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MATERNAL , INFANT , AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING AND THE I NDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT PART C PROGRAMS 3 To achieve these benchmarks, home visitors and families develop strong relationships and trust through regular home visits to address families ’ needs by: • Supporting healthy pregnancy practices ; • Providing information on topics such as breastfeeding, safe sleep, preventing unintended child injuries, and nutrition ; • Teaching positive parenting skills such as reading, playing, and praising good behaviors ; • Working with caregivers to set goals for the future, continue their education, and find employment and childcare solutions ; and • Connecting families to other services and resources in their community . The MIECHV Program aims to coordinate and provide comprehensive services for families living in communities at risk of poor maternal and child health outcomes . To accomplish these goals , MIECHV awardees are required to establish linkages and referral networks to other community resources and supports outside of home visiting. 1 Coordination between MIECHV and other programs, including IDEA Part C, must be guided by policies and procedures that ensure sustained services and smooth transitions across the continuum of home visiting and early childhood services. MIECHV also requires awardees to develop and implement signed, written agreements with key State agencies, including IDEA Part C lead agencies, to facilitate coordination. Overall, these requirements support awardees in connecting families to a range of services to meet their needs and achieve improvements in maternal and child health, s chool readiness , and other areas. The requirements also help programs meet the MIECHV 1 Social Security Act § 511 [42 U.S.C. 711] Reauthorization (Sec. 6101) COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MATERNAL , INFANT , AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING AND THE I NDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT PART C PROGRAMS 4 benchmark for improved community resource coordination and referrals, including completed developmental referrals. The purpose of the IDEA Part C program is to promote early identification and support the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, enhance the capacity of families to meet the developmental needs of their infants and toddlers, minimize or eliminate the need for special education and related services when children enter school, and enhance long- term outcomes. IDEA Part C awards formula grants to the 50 S tates, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Department of the Interior, and Outlying Areas to assist them in implementing statewide systems of coordinated, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, interagency early intervention programs. Under the program, States are responsible for ensuring that appropriate early intervention services are made available to all eligible birth through two -year- olds with disabilities and their families, including Indian children and families who reside on reservations geographically loca ted in the State. To support early identification, IDEA Part C requires State Part C lead agencies to have a comprehensive child find system. The child find system must have referral procedures in place so that parents; health care providers, such as pediatricians; social services agencies; early childho od educators; and other individuals can refer infants and toddlers to IDEA Part C if there are concerns about their development. As part of their work with infants and toddlers and their families , these providers and programs regularly use developmental monitoring and conduct developmental screenings to assess if infants and toddlers are meeting developmental milestones. Like MIECHV, they are key partners in working with IDEA Part C programs to identify infants and toddlers who may have disabilities or delays in development, and then connecting families to IDEA Part C for further assessment . “Learn the Signs. Act Early ” provides resources that support early identification and developmental monitoring that may help improve development during the first three years of life in areas such as: • Physical: reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking • Cognitive: thinking, learning, solving problems • Communication: talking, listening, understanding • Social/emotional: playing, feeling secure and happy • Self -help: eating, dressing The IDEA Part C program requires an individualized family service plan , developed with the parent s, to provide early intervention services to the child and the child’s family. The services to the child must be provided, to the maximum extent appropriate, in natural environments. 2 The natural environment includes the home and community settings —such as child care centers, preschools, early childhood 2 34 CFR 303.26 and 303.126. COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MATERNAL , INFANT , AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING AND THE I NDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT PART C PROGRAMS 5 centers, libraries, grocery stores, parks, restaurants, and community centers --where infants and toddlers would participate if they did not have a disability. These services may be provided in other setting s, such as clinics exclusively for infants and toddlers with disabilitie s and their families or in a therapist ’s office, only when early intervention services for the infant or toddler cannot be provided in a natural environment. Under IDEA Part C , State s receive financial assistance to implement and maintain a statewide, coordinated interagency system to support the referral, identification, evaluation, and delivery of IDEA Part C services for infants and toddlers with disabilitie s 3 and their families. At the State’s discretion, IDEA Part C systems may also serve infants and toddlers who are at -risk for experiencing a substantial developmental delay if early intervention services are not provided to them . 4 To support this interagency system, IDEA Part C includes multiple requirements for interagency coordination and agreements in the areas of child find , service provision , payment for services , and transition. There is also a requirement that each State establish a State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC). The required membership includes a wide representation of early childhood professionals and may include representative(s) from MIECHV awardees or their local implementing agencies . Among other duties, the SICC must advise the IDEA Part C lead agency in coordinating funding for IDEA Part C services and assisting with early childhood transition of toddlers with disabilities to preschool and other appropriate services . 5 THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION B ETWEEN MIECHV AND IDEA PART C PROGRAMS . Well -coordinated State and local partnerships between MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs, providers , and families may strengthen referrals, promote the use of more evidence-based approaches to identification, and promote more timely delivery of IDEA Part C services (Swanson, L. , Menon, M. , Minogue, A. , Russell, R. & Berns, S., 2023). Specifically, collaboration and coordination of services between MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs is intended to benefit families by supporting: • Holistic Services : Both MIECHV and IDEA Part C prioritize serving families with infants and toddlers who are at risk for or have developmental delays or disabilities . Collaboration between programs can help ensure these families have access to the full range of programs available to support their child’s health, development, and well -being. • Equity: By increasing families’ connections to services, improved interagency collaboration may benefit infants and toddlers and their families who have been historically underserved by IDEA Part C, and those who could benefit from MIECHV services including families and children of color, 3 34 CFR 303.21 4 34 CFR 303.5 and 303.21(b) . 5 34 CFR 303.600 - 303.605. COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MATERNAL , INFANT , AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING AND THE I NDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT PART C PROGRAMS 6 those living in poverty, and those living in rural areas (Center for Parent Information and Resources, 2021). • Early Identification: By working together, these programs may identify infants and toddlers with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities at an earlier age . Early identification enables timely interventions that ensure infants and toddlers have access to the services they need as soon as possible . • Service Coordination: Coordination at the systems level, including centralized intake and referral across programs, may make the enrollment process easier for families. Coordination at the service delivery level may promote better coordination of services and resources, preventing duplication of services and ensuring that infants and toddlers and the ir families receive the right support s at the right time. • Family -Centered Approach: Both programs emphasize family engagement and empowerment. Service coordination may increase family engagement and is intended to enhance their ability to assist in their child’s growth and development as well as ensure families receive appropriate and timely referrals to services that meet the needs of the whole family. A family -centered approach may help families develop the skills they need to work with professionals and advocate for their children long after they age out of the programs. • Smooth Transitions: When infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities age out of MIECHV and IDEA Part C services , they often move into community -based preschool programs and those operated by school system s. They may transition to services provided under IDEA Part B. Collaboration and coordination during this transition process may help families efficiently access services, minimize disruptions in services , and create opportunities for alignment with other services a family may be receiving. MIECHV and IDEA Part C Services may help families set their expectations for their children’s preschool experiences and increase their comfort in advocating for their children’s needs. • Data Sharing: Sharing data , to the extent permitted by applicable law, between the two programs may lead to improve d program effectiveness and facilitate appropriate referrals between and outside of the programs . Data sharing may also reduce burden on families by preventing duplicative data collection. Overall, collaboration between MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs is expected to enhance and support improved outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families . We hope that these briefs will serve as a resource for MIECHV and IDEA Part C S tate and local leaders as they work toward enhancing collaboration and coordination between these two critical programs. COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MATERNAL , INFANT , AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING AND THE I NDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT PART C PROGRAMS 7 R ESOURCES • Center for Parent Information and Resources • Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center • Learn the Signs. Act Early. • National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations • Exploring a Framework for Early Childhood Systems Maturity: Infants & Young Children ( l w w. c o m ) • The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C Program D ISCLAIMER Other than statutory and regulatory requirements included in the document, the contents of this document do not have the force or effect of law and are not meant to bind the public. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. This document is intended as a resource on identifying, locating, and evaluating infants and toddlers for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA ) Part C services. Further, this document doe s not provide specific guidance on Federal disability laws. This document contains resources and examples that are provided for the user’s convenience. The inclusion of these materials is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered. These materials may contain the views and recommendations of various subject - matter experts as well as hypertext links, contact addresses and websites to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. The opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the U.S. Departments of Education or Health and Human Services. The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any outside information included in these materials. For the reader ’s convenience, this document contains examples of potentially useful products and resources. Inclusion of such information does not constitute an endorsement by the Departments of Education or Health and Human Services or the Federal government, nor a preference/support for these examples as compared with others that might be available and be presented.

Executive Summary

Issue Brief #1

Issue Brief #2

Issue Brief #3

U.S. Department of Education

Background

The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is partnering with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in the Heath Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and share strategies on strengthening the collaboration and coordination between the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C (IDEA Part C) Program. Collaboration between these two programs at the Federal, State, and local levels is expected to lead to improved developmental outcomes for infants and toddlers at risk for, or who have, developmental delays, through the provision of a high-quality, coordinated, and comprehensive system of services and supports for them and their families.

In 2017, ED and HHS developed a joint statement titled: Collaboration and Coordination of the Maternal, Infant, And Early Childhood Home Visiting Program and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C Programs (ED and HHS Joint Statement). The recommendations presented in the joint statement included the following:

Set a statewide vision for collaboration across early childhood providers.
Establish shared or partnering State organizational and leadership structures for MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs administration.
Build on existing interagency advisory groups, such as the State Interagency Coordinating Council, to explore and promote greater collaboration.
Develop centralized or coordinated intake, screening, and referral systems.
Develop policies and procedures on dual enrollment of families and their young children in MIECHV and IDEA Part C State programs when appropriate and available.
Identify opportunities for collaborative and coordinated service delivery for families within communities served by both MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs.
Expand on early childhood integrated longitudinal data systems to promote data sharing and integration across programs, including the development of data sharing agreements.
Utilize cross-sector professional development for staff working in MIECHV, IDEA Part C, and other early childhood programs to promote better understanding of roles across programs and provide strategies for collaborative service delivery.

To further support the 2017 joint statement, OSEP and MIECHV developed a set of briefs that provide updated recommendations for State administrators, providers, and families to continue strengthening collaborative relationships.

Purpose of the Issue Briefs

Each issue brief addresses a specific topic central to improving coordination and collaboration across MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs; provides examples of relevant State activities; and is framed within the requirements of IDEA and key principles of the MIECHV Program authorization language. The issue briefs are:

Enhancing Referral Mechanisms for Infants and Toddlers with
Disabilities and Their Families:
Strengthening Collaboration between the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Opportunities for Collaboration to Improve Services for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families:
Collaboration between the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to Strengthen Social Emotional Development and Mental Health.
Empowering Early Childhood Personnel Through Capacity Building:
Strengthening Cross-Sector Professional Development between the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Overview of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C (IDEA Part C) Program

MCHB implements the MIECHV Program by providing grants to States, jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, and tribal organizations. Awardees have flexibility to select and administer evidence-based home visiting models and promising approaches based on community needs, capacity, and resources. MIECHV State/jurisdiction awardees typically contract with local implementing agencies to deliver home visiting services in alignment with model fidelity and implementation standards. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) administers the Tribal MIECHV grants. These grants go directly to tribal organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate home visiting programs in Tribal communities.

The MIECHV Program supports pregnant people and families with infants and toddlers who live in communities facing barriers to positive maternal and child health outcomes. Families who choose to participate in home visiting programs partner with health, social service, and child development professionals to set and achieve goals that improve their child’s and family’s health and well-being. The Program is designed to strengthen communities and improve outcomes for infants and toddlers and their families by meeting six key benchmarks.

Benchmarks: Improved maternal and newborn health Reduced child injuries, maltreatment, and emergency department visits improved school readiness and achievement Reduced crime or domestic violence Improved family economic self-sufficiency Improved coordination and referrals for community resources

To achieve these benchmarks, home visitors and families develop strong relationships and trust through regular home visits to address families’ needs by:

Supporting healthy pregnancy practices;
Providing information on topics such as breastfeeding, safe sleep, preventing unintended child injuries, and nutrition;
Teaching positive parenting skills such as reading, playing, and praising good behaviors;
Working with caregivers to set goals for the future, continue their education, and find employment and childcare solutions; and
Connecting families to other services and resources in their community.

The MIECHV Program aims to coordinate and provide comprehensive services for families living in communities at risk of poor maternal and child health outcomes. To accomplish these goals, MIECHV awardees are required to establish linkages and referral networks to other community resources and supports outside of home visiting.^[1] Coordination between MIECHV and other programs, including IDEA Part C, must be guided by policies and procedures that ensure sustained services and smooth transitions across the continuum of home visiting and early childhood services. MIECHV also requires awardees to develop and implement signed, written agreements with key State agencies, including IDEA Part C lead agencies, to facilitate coordination. Overall, these requirements support awardees in connecting families to a range of services to meet their needs and achieve improvements in maternal and child health, school readiness, and other areas. The requirements also help programs meet the MIECHV benchmark for improved community resource coordination and referrals, including completed developmental referrals.

IDEA Part C awards formula grants to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Department of the Interior, and Outlying Areas to assist them in implementing statewide systems of coordinated, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, interagency early intervention programs. Under the program, States are responsible for ensuring that appropriate early intervention services are made available to all eligible birth through two-year-olds with disabilities and their families, including Indian children and families who reside on reservations geographically located in the State.

The purpose of the IDEA Part C program is to promote early identification and support the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, enhance the capacity of families to meet the developmental needs of their infants and toddlers, minimize or eliminate the need for special education and related services when children enter school, and enhance long-term outcomes.

To support early identification, IDEA Part C requires State Part C lead agencies to have a comprehensive child find system. The child find system must have referral procedures in place so that parents; health care providers, such as pediatricians; social services agencies; early childhood educators; and other individuals can refer infants and toddlers to IDEA Part C if there are concerns about their development. As part of their work with infants and toddlers and their families, these providers and programs regularly use developmental monitoring and conduct developmental screenings to assess if infants and toddlers are meeting developmental milestones. Like MIECHV, they are key partners in working with IDEA Part C programs to identify infants and toddlers who may have disabilities or delays in development, and then connecting families to IDEA Part C for further assessment. “Learn the Signs. Act Early” provides resources that support early identification and developmental monitoring that may help improve development during the first three years of life in areas such as:

Physical: reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking
Cognitive: thinking, learning, solving problems
Communication: talking, listening, understanding
Social/emotional: playing, feeling secure and happy
Self-help: eating, dressing

The IDEA Part C program requires an individualized family service plan, developed with the parents, to provide early intervention services to the child and the child’s family. The services to the child must be provided, to the maximum extent appropriate, in natural environments.^[2] The natural environment includes the home and community settings—such as child care centers, preschools, early childhood centers, libraries, grocery stores, parks, restaurants, and community centers--where infants and toddlers would participate if they did not have a disability. These services may be provided in other settings, such as clinics exclusively for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families or in a therapist’s office, only when early intervention services for the infant or toddler cannot be provided in a natural environment.

Under IDEA Part C, States receive financial assistance to implement and maintain a statewide, coordinated interagency system to support the referral, identification, evaluation, and delivery of IDEA Part C services for infants and toddlers with disabilities^[3] and their families. At the State’s discretion, IDEA Part C systems may also serve infants and toddlers who are at-risk for experiencing a substantial developmental delay if early intervention services are not provided to them.^[4] To support this interagency system, IDEA Part C includes multiple requirements for interagency coordination and agreements in the areas of child find, service provision, payment for services, and transition. There is also a requirement that each State establish a State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC). The required membership includes a wide representation of early childhood professionals and may include representative(s) from MIECHV awardees or their local implementing agencies. Among other duties, the SICC must advise the IDEA Part C lead agency in coordinating funding for IDEA Part C services and assisting with early childhood transition of toddlers with disabilities to preschool and other appropriate services.^[5]

The Importance of Supporting Coordination and Collaboration Between MIECHV and IDEA Part C Programs.

Well-coordinated State and local partnerships between MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs, providers, and families may strengthen referrals, promote the use of more evidence-based approaches to identification, and promote more timely delivery of IDEA Part C services (Swanson, L., Menon, M., Minogue, A., Russell, R. & Berns, S., 2023). Specifically, collaboration and coordination of services between MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs is intended to benefit families by supporting:

Holistic Services:
Both MIECHV and IDEA Part C prioritize serving families with infants and toddlers who are at risk for or have developmental delays or disabilities. Collaboration between programs can help ensure these families have access to the full range of programs available to support their child’s health, development, and well-being.
Equity:
By increasing families’ connections to services, improved interagency collaboration may benefit infants and toddlers and their families who have been historically underserved by IDEA Part C, and those who could benefit from MIECHV services including families and children of color, those living in poverty, and those living in rural areas (Center for Parent Information and Resources, 2021).
Early Identification:
By working together, these programs may identify infants and toddlers with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities at an earlier age. Early identification enables timely interventions that ensure infants and toddlers have access to the services they need as soon as possible.
Service Coordination:
Coordination at the systems level, including centralized intake and referral across programs, may make the enrollment process easier for families. Coordination at the service delivery level may promote better coordination of services and resources, preventing duplication of services and ensuring that infants and toddlers and their families receive the right supports at the right time.
Family-Centered Approach:
Both programs emphasize family engagement and empowerment. Service coordination may increase family engagement and is intended to enhance their ability to assist in their child’s growth and development as well as ensure families receive appropriate and timely referrals to services that meet the needs of the whole family. A family-centered approach may help families develop the skills they need to work with professionals and advocate for their children long after they age out of the programs.
Smooth Transitions:
When infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities age out of MIECHV and IDEA Part C services, they often move into community-based preschool programs and those operated by school systems. They may transition to services provided under IDEA Part B. Collaboration and coordination during this transition process may help families efficiently access services, minimize disruptions in services, and create opportunities for alignment with other services a family may be receiving. MIECHV and IDEA Part C Services may help families set their expectations for their children’s preschool experiences and increase their comfort in advocating for their children’s needs.
Data Sharing:
Sharing data, to the extent permitted by applicable law, between the two programs may lead to improved program effectiveness and facilitate appropriate referrals between and outside of the programs. Data sharing may also reduce burden on families by preventing duplicative data collection.

Overall, collaboration between MIECHV and IDEA Part C programs is expected to enhance and support improved outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. We hope that these briefs will serve as a resource for MIECHV and IDEA Part C State and local leaders as they work toward enhancing collaboration and coordination between these two critical programs.

Resources

Disclaimer

Other than statutory and regulatory requirements included in the document, the contents of this document do not have the force or effect of law and are not meant to bind the public. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. This document is intended as a resource on identifying, locating, and evaluating infants and toddlers for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C services. Further, this document does not provide specific guidance on Federal disability laws.

This document contains resources and examples that are provided for the user’s convenience. The inclusion of these materials is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered. These materials may contain the views and recommendations of various subject-matter experts as well as hypertext links, contact addresses and websites to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. The opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the U.S. Departments of Education or Health and Human Services. The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any outside information included in these materials. For the reader’s convenience, this document contains examples of potentially useful products and resources. Inclusion of such information does not constitute an endorsement by the Departments of Education or Health and Human Services or the Federal government, nor a preference/support for these examples as compared with others that might be available and be presented.