What about our Littlest Ones? Part C and McKinney-Vento Joining Forces

1. What about our Littlest Ones?Part C and McKinney-Vento Joining Forces NAEHCY 2007 Diana Bowman, National Center for Homeless Education Patricia A. Popp, Project HOPE-Virginia Evelyn Shaw, National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

2. Goals for Today Greater awareness and understanding of: • Challenges that face young children with disabilities experiencing homeless • Overview of IDEA Part C provisions • Importance of and strategies for collaboration between IDEA Part C and homeless education programs

3. Challenges for young children who are homeless: • Inadequate or unstable housing • Inconsistent and inadequate health care • Inadequate nutrition • Adolescent mothers • Disrupted or limited family support • Emotional stress or depression • Limited early childhood programming and waiting lists

4. Challenges for young homeless children with special needs: Homelessness can have far-reaching negative impacts on a child and compounding impacts on a child with special needs • 54% of children in homeless situations experience some form of developmental delay • 40% of children living in homeless shelters are under the age of five • 15% of young homeless children are enrolled in preschool programs

5. How does IDEA serve young children who are homeless? Know your 2 parts of IDEA: • Part B – serves children and youth 3-21 • Section 619, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) serves ages 3 to kindergarten • Part C – Early Intervention (EI) serves infants and toddlers (birth through age 2)

6. How does IDEA serve young children who are homeless? Part C • Comprehensive statewide program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers 0-2 with disabilities and their families • Governor designates a lead agency to receive the grant and administer the program and appoint and Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) to advise and assist the lead agency (requires representation from homeless education)

7. Who provides services under Part C? • Part C services are provided under state supervision through local Part C agencies and may include school districts; educational service centers; local health, developmental disabilities, or mental health agencies; and/or private agencies • To find your Part C agency, visit: http://www.nectac.org/contact/ptccoord.asp

8. Who can receive services under Part C? • Infants and toddlers under age three who need early intervention services because they are experiencing a developmental delay or have a condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay • States determine the criteria for the definition of developmental delay • States have the option of providing services to infants and toddlers “at risk of developmental delay”

9. Does Part C provide services to homeless infants and toddlers? • Yes – Part C defines homeless children (same as MV definition) and requires states to assure that they have adopted a policy that serves all infants and toddlers with disabilities • Specifies that infants and toddlers with disabilities who are homeless must be served • States must adopt policies and procedures to ensure that homeless families and children have access to Part C planning and implementation • Child find – Lead agencies must identify infants and toddlers with disabilities, including homeless (Part B SEAs must include also in child find)

10. What services does Part C provide? Wide range of services in natural environments with qualified personnel that are based on needs and Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) such as: • OT, PT, audiology, etc. • Family training, counseling, home visits • Health services necessary to enable an infant or toddler to benefit from other early intervention services • Service coordination • Transportation and related costs necessary for an infant or toddler and family to receive other services

11. How can parents request Part C services for their child? • A parent can refer their child to a Part C agency for evaluation and assessment • How can Part C programs encourage parents to seek services? • Build cooperative, respectful relationships • Explain to parents what Part C is and how the evaluation process works • Talk to parents about developmental milestones for children • Connect parents with Parent Training and Information Centers (http://www.taalliance.org/centers/index.html or 888-248-0822

12. Can service providers refer a family to Part C programs? • Yes. Part C identifies several service providers as “primary referral sources” who can refer a child for initial screening • If the screening indicates a possible disability, the Part C program must complete a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation • Primary referral sources include: schools, shelters, social service agencies, day care providers, child welfare agencies, health agencies

13. Can Part C programs expedite the evaluation process or provide services before evaluations are finished? • Yes • Part C can expedite evaluation for homeless children • Ask parents about upcoming moves • Ask parents if an evaluation has been initiated at another school or with a provider elsewhere • Obtain copy of prior evaluation; obtain consent • Part C services can be provided while completing evaluations (parental consent, service coordinator, interim IFSP)

14. How can Part C agencies and school districts serve homeless infants and toddlers better? • Develop and implement IFSPs • Implement procedures to expedite evaluations • Develop expedited surrogate parent appointment procedures for children not with their parents • Ensure that Part C and homeless education staff know one another • Form an advisory committee for serving homeless infants and toddlers • Work across districts where homeless families move back and forth; be familiar with each other’s policies and procedures

15. State Coordinators for Homeless Ed. recommend for Part C staff • Share contact information and meeting dates and location • On going communication from Part C staff – keep SC and local staff in the loop • Provide the basics – “Part C 101” • Provide guidance on how the law applies • Offer assistance to present to SICC, foster sharing among SCs

16. SC recommendations to increase effectiveness • AWARENESS • ED presence (e.g., guidance) • Policy briefs, fact sheets • Homeless presentations at EI conferences and EI presentations at homeless conferences • Clarify why this is important • Sit down and start planning

17. Special Education administrators recommend: Homeless ed. staff should: • Make themselves known to special education staff; regular communication • Participate in the ICC (required at the State level; many local communities have local ICCs) • Provide training and refreshers on MV to special education staff • Be part of the team that meets initially to discuss provision of services – everyone is aware of each other’s constraints and responsibilities

18. All recommend: • Get beyond the notion of figuring out which program has to serve the children, which law trumps the other, who has to pay • Focus on child-centered best interest decision making • Think outside the box

19. IDEA and MV Collaboration How to put collaboration in place: • Get to know one another Share fact sheets, mailing lists, present at each others staff meetings, contact each other to make best interest determinations • Take advantage of existing vehicles for collaboration; create new ones Informal conversations, coordinating councils and advisory committees, presentations from both programs at surrogate parent programs and Parent Training and Information Centers, ask for support from regional educational centers

20. IDEA and MV Collaboration • Establish joint projects • Child find and identification team • Part C staff refer homeless families with school-aged children to the local liaison; the liaison refers homeless families with preschool-aged children to Part C • Mobility task force • Special education-homeless education policy academy; • Joint professional development projects; • Include information about IDEA Part C and the McKinney-Vento Act in school and program newsletters, handouts, and flyers • Public awareness activities • Develop posters and wallet cards about Part C services for homeless parents at schools, shelters, food banks, health clinics, etc. • Hold family-oriented community events with opportunities to screen infants and toddlers

21. Resources • NECTAC (National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center) • 919-962-7309 • http://www.nectac.org • NASDSE (www.nasdse.org – pdf available) • Project FORUM (1999 proceedings) • 2004 QTA Brief • CEC • CEC Today – March 2003 • http://www.cec.sped.org/bk/cec_today/ • Project HOPE-VA (www.wm.edu/hope) • Information briefs – special ed., ECSE • NAEHCY, NCHE and NLCHP • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004: Provisions for Children and Youth with Disabilities Who Experience Homelessness;http://www.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/idea.pdf

22. Contact Information: Diana Bowman, Director National Center for Homeless Education dbowman@serve.org 1-800-755-3277 http://www.serve.org/nche Patricia A. Popp, State Coordinator Project HOPE-Virginia pxpopp@wm.edu 757-221-7776 http://www.wm.edu/hope Evelyn Shaw National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) shaw@mail.fpg.unc.edu 919-962-7309 http://www.nectac.org