Iowa Council for Early ACCESS: Overview

1. Iowa Council for Early ACCESS: Overview Vision: Every child, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful Mission: Early ACCESS builds upon and provides supports and resources to assist family members and caregivers to enhance children’s learning and development through everyday learning opportunities.

2. Council Membership • The Iowa Council of Early ACCESS (ICEA) advises and assists the system of early intervention services in the planning, coordination, and delivery of services to infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. The council currently has 24 voting members consisting of families and representatives of the public and private sector who by virtue of their position, interest, and training can contribute to the quality of services provided to infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. • The council membership is: • Appointed by the Governor’s Office • Organized according to the Federal law, meeting guidelines for its composition of 20% parents and 20% public and private providers or early intervention service. Other required members include representatives for personnel preparation, state legislator, state preschool programs, health insurance, Head Start, state child care agency, and other state agencies. • Balanced according to State law in regard to geographic region, political party and gender. • Appointed for a three-year term, not to exceed two consecutive terms • Meeting information • Meetings are held five times a year in September, November, January, March and May. They are open to the public and held in accessible locations.

3. Signatory Agencies and the Council • The Iowa Early ACCESS system has four Signatory Agencies. The Council is driven by the Executive Committee, which includes representatives from all signatory agencies, and members are Governor appointed. The Council reviews Early ACCESS data and advises and assists the Lead Agency to improve the EA system. • The four Signatory Agencies include: • Iowa Department of Education (Lead Agency) • Iowa Department of Public Health • Iowa Department of Human Services • Child Health Specialty Clinics, University of Iowa

5. Iowa Department of Education: Lead Agency • The governor identified the lead agency to be the Iowa Department of Education (DE); in other states it may be other state departments. The Lead Agency is the fiscal and legal agent for administering federal funds under Part C and state funds appropriated to Early ACCESS. Other responsibilities of the lead agency include, but are not limited to: developing and implementing policies and procedures, monitoring, providing technical assistance, and mediating disputes. • Regional-Implementation: The Area Education Agencies are Regional Grantees for Iowa’s Early ACCESS (EA) System. They each have a fiscal and legal obligation to ensure the EA system is carried out regionally and to deliver many of the required services. • Signatory Agency Representative: Kimberly Villotti

6. Iowa Department of Public Health • Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) contracts with local agencies to provide maternal and child health (MCH) services. MCH programs promote the development of community-based systems of preventive health care for pregnant women, children ages 0 through 21, and their families. Each agency may provide different direct services, which are dependent on the needs of the area.  However, all agencies provide the following Core Child Health services: • Early Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) services which is a program for children who are enrolled in Medicaid. The focus of this program is to assure that eligible children ages birth through 20 years receive preventive health care services, including oral health care. In Iowa, the EPSDT program is called Care for Kids. EPSDT Care for Kids services are free to children enrolled in Medicaid • Transportation services for Medicaid enrolled children to medical appointments • Hawk-I outreach – increased access to health care coverage for children • Oral health services under the I-Smile™ program • Signatory Agency Representative: Marcus Johnson-Miller

7. Iowa Department of Human Services • Provides funding for services through the Infant and Toddler Medicaid program • Child Find, CAPTA referrals (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act) • The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act – called CAPTA - mandates that the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) refer all potentially eligible child abuse victims under the age of three to Early ACCESS. DHS develops procedures for referring children served by CAPTA to Early ACCESS.  Once referred to the appropriate agency, children are screened or evaluated for EA eligibility.  As with all families including those involved with the DHS, participation in Early ACCESS is voluntary and parental consent is required for evaluation and service provision. • Signatory Agency Representative: Chad Dahm

8. Child Health Specialty Clinics • CHSC strives to assure a system of care for children and youth with special health care needs. CHSC does not replace a primary care physician, rather they augment and support ongoing health services by helping the family navigate the health care system. • CHSC provides Early ACCESS Service Coordination primarily for children born prematurely, medically complex, drug exposed, or in foster care. EA SCs are family navigators who have children with special health care needs and who have experience with various services and supports who are located throughout the state at community based CHSC Regional Centers. • CHSC clinical services for Early ACCESS children include: ·      • Health assessments and education provided by an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner; • CHSC Registered Nurse medical record reviews for health implications and medical and safety alerts for IFSP teams; and • Early intervention nutrition services provided to families in their local communities utilizing telehealth technology by Registered Dietitians. • Signatory Agency Representative: Dr. Thomas Scholz

9. 2015-2016 Executive Council Slate • Chair – Kasey Vermillion • Vice Chair – Kim Thomas • Parent Representative- Stacy Kramer • At Large – Martha Andera • IDPH – Marcus Johnson-Miller • DHS – Chad Dahm • CHSC – Dr. Thomas Scholz • DE/Lead Agency – Kimberly Villotti • AEA Special Education Director – Dr. Doug Penno