What is Early Start & Early Intervention?

The Early Start Program is California's response to federal legislation ensuring that early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families are provided in a coordinated, family-centered manner. The Early Start Program is a multi-agency effort by the Dept. of Developmental Services and the California Department of Education that encourages partnerships between families and professionals, family support, and coordination of services. The statewide program is available throughout California, and can be accessed through regional centers for developmental disabilities, county offices of education or local school districts, health or social service agencies, and family resource centers/networks in your community.

An important part of Early Start is the network of family resource centers/networks (FRC/Ns) which provide parent-to-parent contact, information about disabilities and early intervention, and assistance in accessing services. Phone contact, home or hospital visits, and support groups are all ways in which families might connect with experienced, knowledgeable parent "peers" through their local FRC/N.

What is Early Intervention?

Early intervention brings together resources and services, not only to help your child grow and learn, but also to provide support to your family to enhance your child's development. Early intervention services under the Early Start Program are provided by public and private programs that focus on the health and well-being of young children. These include regional centers, county offices of education or school districts, local education agencies, family support programs, and other service providers. "Development" is defined as progress for your child in any of these five areas:

• ability to move, see, and hear (physical)
  
• ability to think and learn (cognitive)
  
• ability to understand, talk, express self (language and speech)
  
• ability to relate to others (social and emotional)
  
• ability to eat, dress and to care for or help self (adaptive)

Early intervention services and support are planned and delivered through a partnership between families and professionals to coordinate community services based on the child's needs and the preferences of each family. Early intervention may:

• help answer your questions about your child's development,
• link you with other families who have had similar experiences,
• help you understand and become closer with your child,
• improve your child's developmental status,
• help prevent the need for special services later in your child's life,
• help children with special needs become part of their communities, and
• help communities become more aware of the abilities and gifts of all children.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible children include those infants or toddlers (birth through 36 months) who:

• have a significant delay in at least one area of development,
  
• have a condition with a known probability of causing a disability or delay, or
  
• are at high risk of having a developmental disability.

If you are concerned about any of these issues, your child's eligibility for early intervention services under the Early Start Program should be determined by referral to a regional center, county office of education, or local school district.

Early Start Contents

For more information, contact:

Napa County Office 10 Executive Court, Suite A Napa, CA 94558 Telephone (707) 256-1100 Fax (707) 256-1112 TDD (707) 257-0213	Emergency Response: (800) 884-1594 (evenings/weekends)
Sonoma County Office 2351Mendocino Avenue Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Telephone (707) 569-2000 Fax (707) 542-9727 TDD (707) 525-1239

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