AB 2086, as introduced, Ian Calderon. Early intervention services.
Existing law, the California Early Intervention Services Act, in part, requires the State Department of Developmental Services, the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services to coordinate services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, and to collaborate with families and communities to provide a family-centered, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, interagency, community-based, early intervention system for infants and toddlers with disabilities.
This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 95001 of the Government Code is
2amended to read:
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
4following:
P2 1(1) There is a need to provide appropriate early intervention
2services individually designed for infants and toddlers from birth
3to two years of age, inclusive, who have disabilities or are at risk
4of having disabilities, to enhance their development and to
5minimize the potential for developmental delays.
6(2) Early intervention services for infants and toddlers with
7disabilities or who are at risk of having disabilities represent an
8investment of resources, in that these servicesbegin delete reduceend deletebegin insert
minimizeend insert the
9ultimate costs to our society, by minimizing the need for special
10education and related services in later school years and by
11minimizing the likelihood of institutionalization. These services
12also maximize the ability of families to better provide for the
13special needs of their children. Early intervention services for
14infants and toddlers with disabilities maximize the potential of the
15individuals to be effective in the context of daily life and activities,
16including the potential to live independently, and exercise the full
17rights of citizenship. The earlier intervention is started, the greater
18is the ultimate cost-effectiveness and the higher is the educational
19attainment and quality of life achieved by children with disabilities.
20(3) The family is the constant in the child’s life, while the service
21system and personnel within those systems fluctuate. Because the
22primary responsibility of
an infant’s or toddler’s well-being rests
23with the family, services should support and enhance the family’s
24capability to meet the special developmental needs of their infant
25or toddler with disabilities.
26(4) Family-to-family support strengthens families’ ability to
27fully participate in services planning and their capacity to care for
28their infants or toddlers with disabilities.
29(5) Meeting the complex needs of infants with disabilities and
30their families requires active state and local coordinated,
31collaborative, and accessible service delivery systems that are
32flexible, culturally competent, and responsive to family-identified
33needs. When health, developmental, educational, and social
34programs are coordinated, they are proven to be cost effective, not
35only for systems, but for families as well.
36(6) Family-professional collaboration contributes to changing
37the ways that early intervention services are provided and to
38enhancing their effectiveness.
P3 1(7) Infants and toddlers with disabilities are a part of their
2communities, and as citizens make valuable contributions to society
3as a whole.
4(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that:
5(1) Funding provided under Part C of the federal Individuals
6with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1431 et seq.) be
7used to improve and enhance early intervention services as defined
8in this title by developing innovative ways of providing family
9focused, coordinated services, which are built upon existing
10systems.
11(2) The State Department of Developmental Services, the State
12
Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care
13Services, and the State Department of Social Services coordinate
14services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
15These agencies need to collaborate with families and communities
16to provide a family-centered, comprehensive, multidisciplinary,
17interagency, community-based, early intervention system for
18infants and toddlers with disabilities.
19(3) Families be well informed, supported, and respected as
20capable and collaborative decisionmakers regarding services for
21their child.
22(4) Professionals be supported to enhance their training and
23maintain a high level of expertise in their field, as well as
24knowledge of what constitutes most effective early intervention
25practices.
26(5) Families and professionals join in collaborative partnerships
27to
develop early intervention services that meet the needs of infants
28and toddlers with disabilities, and that those partnerships be the
29basis for the development of services that meet the needs of the
30culturally and linguistically diverse population of California.
31(6) To the maximum extent possible, infants and toddlers with
32disabilities and their families be provided services in the most
33natural environment, and include the use of natural supports and
34existing community resources.
35(7) The services delivery system be responsive to the families
36and children it serves within the context of cooperation and
37coordination among the various agencies.
38(8) Early intervention program quality be ensured and
39maintained through established early intervention program and
40personnel standards.
P4 1(9) The early intervention system be responsive to public input
2and participation in the development of implementation policies
3and procedures for early intervention services through the forum
4of an interagency coordinating council established pursuant to
5federal regulations under Part C of the federal Individuals with
6Disabilities Education Act.
7(c) It is not the intent of the Legislature to require the State
8Department of Education to implement this title unless adequate
9reimbursement, as specified and agreed to by the department, is
10provided to the department from federal funds from Part C of the
11federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
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