Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about funding or services for children up to age four, leaving these points as unknowns.

Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers

This bill directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to extend the Early Intervention Program to include children up to four years old.

What This Bill Does

• Extends the Early Intervention Program to help children who are four years old or younger if they have disabilities.
• Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to follow federal rules for this extension.

Who It Names or Affects

• Children up to age four who need help because of a disability
• The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

Terms To Know

Early Intervention Program

A program that helps young children with disabilities get the support they need.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS)

The government agency in charge of helping people with mental health or developmental needs.

Limits and Unknowns

• It is not clear how much funding will be available for the extended program.
• The bill does not specify what services will be provided to children aged four years old.

Official Summary Text

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension.
Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to take all steps necessary to implement the federal extension option for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities to allow children four years of age or younger to receive services through such Program. Under current law, the Program is available for children between birth and three years of age.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to direct the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to implement the federal extension option for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities to allow children four years of age or younger to receive services through such
Program
.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.

§ 1.
That the Department
of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
(DB
HD
S)
shall
implement the federal extension option
for
the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
to
allow
children four
years of age or younger
to
receive
services through such
P
rogram
.
In doing so,
DB
HD
S shall take all steps necessary to implement

such extension option, including
indicating the intention to implement the federal extension on i
ts
annual
IDEA Part C grant application,
developing a joint policy with the Department of Education
and the federal Office of Special Education Programs
,
and
review
ing
and revising current polic
ies
as necessary.