Early Start Program Eligibility Criteria Restored! 

As of January 1, 2015, the eligibility criteria for the state’s Early Start program of early intervention services for young children have been restored to the level that existed prior to the major budget cuts of 2009 and subsequent years.  In Alameda County Early Start services are primarily provided through the Regional Center of the East Bay (RCEB), which serves both Alameda and Contra Costa counties.  The restoration of Early Start eligibility was mandated by the state budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16 following significant statewide advocacy by the children’s and developmental disabilities communities.

What Is Early Start?
Early Start is a statewide program administered by the Department of Developmental Services that is designed to provide prevention and early intervention services to young children from birth to three years of age who have or are at risk of developmental delay or disability.  Services are determined by the eligible child’s Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and may include such services as speech and language therapy, occupational and physical therapy, family training, counseling and home visits, assistive technology, nursing services,  and nutrition services.  

What Children Are Now Eligible for Early Start Services?
With the newly restored eligibility criteria, there are three general categories of eligibility that would qualify children from birth to age three:

1)    At Risk/High Risk Children

· Presence of two or more biomedical risk factors such as prematurity, low birthweight, metabolic abnormality, seizures, prenatal exposure, failure to thrive, and other conditions. 

· Children with a parent with a developmental disability

  2)    Children with Developmental Delay

·  Exhibiting significant delay, defined as at least a 33% delay in one or more areas (cognitive, communication, social or emotional, adaptive, or physical and motor development including vision and hearing)

· This new definition no longer requires a more significant level of delay for children 24 months of age or older.

  3)    Children with Established Risk Condition

·  Presence of conditions such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, or epilepsy.

What About Infants and Toddlers Who Were Found Ineligible Before the Criteria Were Restored? 

Children who were referred to Early Start before January 1, 2015 and found ineligible under the old eligibility criteria can be re-referred and would re-evaluated under the new criteria.

For More Information 

• The newly revised Early Start referral form is available at:  http://www.acphd.org/media/375382/rceb-early-start-referral-form.pdf

• Information on how referrals are made and how eligibility is determined can be found on the state Department of Developmental Services website at:  http://www.dds.ca.gov/EarlyStart/WhatsES.cfm

• Information on Early Start services and family rights and responsibilities can be found on the RCEB website at:http://rceb.org/.