First 5 California Children & Families Commission
www.ccfc.ca.gov
The California Children and Families Act of 1998 is designed to provide, on a community-by-community basis, all children prenatal to five years of age with a comprehensive, integrated system of early childhood development services. Through the integration of health care, quality child care, parent education and effective intervention programs for families at risk, children and their parents and caregivers will be provided with the tools necessary to foster secure, healthy and loving attachments. These attachments will lay the emotional, physical and intellectual foundation for every child to enter school ready to learn and develop the potential to become productive, well-adjusted members of society.
T/TA Providers
SEEDS at Sacramento County Office of Education
www.scoe.net/seeds
In partnership with the California Department of Education, SEEDS provides training and technical assistance including individualized support, facilitation, and consultation to early childhood special education programs affiliated with local education agencies. Through our network of consultants and visitation sites we strive to identify and nurture quality practices. Together our goal is to create positive, sustainable change in education systems throughout California.
SEECAP at San Diego County Office of Education
www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/seecap
SEECAP began in 1994 on the premise that there was a direct relationship between quality early intervention programs and the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the administrators who ran those programs. SEECAP promotes excellence in educational leadership by providing training and support for emerging and experienced administrators of early childhood special education programs.
Beginning Together [CIHS]
www.cainclusivechildcare.org
Provides inclusion support for California graduates of the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregiver (PITC), with a focus on the information and skills needed to include infants and toddlers with disabilities in child care settings.
California Map to Inclusive Child Care [CIHS]
www.cainclusivechildcare.org
The California Map to Inclusive Child Care Project seeks to expand opportunities for children with disabilities and other special needs in child care and development programs. The project is committed to improving the delivery of quality child care services to children with disabilities or other special needs in inclusive settings.
Their website contains a comprehensive listing of resources, including:
- how to support children in inclusive early childhood settings
- information about legal and licensing issues
- support for parents searching for child care for their children with disabilities or other special needs
- disability-specific information
- children with challenging behavior
CalSTAT [CIHS]
www.calstat.org
Works in partnership with schools and families to provide training, technical assistance, and resources to special education, general education, and families in support of collaborative efforts to appropriately educate all children, particularly those with disabilities. Funded through the California Department of Education and the State Improvement Grant (SIG).
Desired Results [CIHS]
www.sonoma.edu/cihs/desiredresults
Provides training and technical assistance on the California Desired Results System to agencies administering state contracts for center based care and family child care networks. The Desired Results System is a continuous improvement system designed to improve the quality of child care and development services in California for children birth to 13 years of age.
Program for Infant Toddlers Caregivers – PITC [WestEd]
www.pitc.org
The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers was developed by WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies in collaboration with the California Department of Education Child Development Division to promote responsive, caring relationships for infants and toddlers. Participants in the Beginning Together must be fully certified in four training modules offered through PITC.
Center for Prevention and Early Intervention
www.wested.org/cs/we/view/pg/16
Training, technical assistance, and resource development for young children and youth with disabilities and other special needs and their families.
Head Start T/TA
www.ccfc.ca.gov
Head Start Collaboration Grant [CDE, CDD]
www.ccfc.ca.gov
The Family Resource Center Network
www.frcn.org
Helping families meet the challenge of raising children with special needs. Supporting families and professionals in the following California counties: Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties.
The Parent Training and Information Centers
www.taalliance.org/centers
Each state is home to at least one parent center. Parent centers serve families of children and young adults from birth to age 22 with all disabilities: physical, cognitive, emotional, and learning. They help families obtain appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities; work to improve education results for all children; train and inform parents and professionals on a variety of topics; resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies; and connect children with disabilities to community resources that address their needs.
Infant Development Association of California [IDA]
www.idaofcal.org
The Infant Development Association of California is a multidisciplinary organization of parents and professionals committed to optimal developmental, social and emotional outcomes for infants, birth to three, with a broad range of special needs, and their families. IDA advocates for improved, effective prevention and early intervention services, and provides information, education, and training to parents, professionals, decision makers and others.
California’s Early Start Program Statewide Directory of Early Intervention Services [DDS]
www.dds.ca.gov/EarlyStart/ESResMaterials.cfm
Early Start has a variety of materials and products to support a statewide, comprehensive and coordinated system of child find, public awareness and outreach. Outreach materials increase appropriate referrals, increase the community's knowledge and understanding of early intervention services, and support families' role in early intervention.
National Centers
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
www.csefel.uiuc.edu
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning is a national center focused on strengthening the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children.
Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior
challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu
The Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs to raise the awareness and implementation of positive, evidence-based practices and to build an enhanced and more accessible database to support those practices.
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
www.nichcy.org
NICHCY is the national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals. A special focus is children and youth (birth to age 22). Publicaciones disponibles en Español. [Publications available in Spanish].
The National Center for Early Learning and Development
www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl
NCEDL focuses on enhancing the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children from birth through age eight.
Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services - CLAS
www.clas.uiuc.edu
The CLAS Institute identifies, evaluates, and promotes effective and appropriate early intervention practices and preschool practices that are sensitive and respectful to children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Docs for Tots
www.docsfortots.org
The mission of Doc For Tots is to develop, support, and grow a nationwide network of doctors who can respond to the requests of child advocacy organizations and others to participate in advocating for policies and practices that improve the well-being of our youngest children.
Healthy Child Care America
www.healthychildcare.org
Healthy Child Care America (HCCA) seeks to ensure that all children experience quality child care within a nurturing environment and have a medical home. Its principles are based on the fact that families, child care providers, and health professionals in partnership can promote the healthy development of young children in child care settings and increase access to preventive health services and safe physical environments.
Zero to Three
www.zerotothree.org
ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated solely to advancing the healthy development of babies and young children. ZERO TO THREE disseminates key developmental information, trains providers, promotes model approaches and standards of practice and works to increase public awareness about the significance of the first three years of life.
National Child Care Information Center
www.nccic.org
The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), a project of the Child Care Bureau, is a national clearinghouse and technical assistance center that links parents, providers, policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and education information.
National Center for Children in Poverty
www.nccp.org
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and policy organization at Columbia University. Our mission is to identify and promote strategies that prevent child poverty in the United States and that improve the lives of low-income children and families.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
www.naeyc.org
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the nation's largest organization of early childhood professionals and others dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education programs for children birth through age eight. NAEYC's primary goals are to improve professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education and to build public understanding and support for high quality early childhood programs.
National Head Start Association
www.nhsa.org
The National Head Start Association is a private not-for-profit membership organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of Head Start children and their families. It represents more than 900,000 children, 190,000 staff and 2,500 Head Start programs in the United States. The Association provides support for the entire Head Start community by advocating for policies that strengthen services to Head Start children and their families; by providing extensive training and professional development to Head Start staff; and by developing and disseminating research, information, and resources that enrich Head Start program delivery.
Division for Early Childhood for the Council for Exceptional Children
www.dec-sped.org
The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) is an organization designed for individuals who work with or on behalf of children with special needs, birth through age eight, and their families. DEC, a subdivision of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is dedicated to promoting policies and practices that support families and enhance the optimal development of children. Children with special needs include those who have disabilities, developmental delays, are gifted/talented, & are at risk of future developmental problems.
Promising Practices Network on Children, Families and Communities
www.promisingpractices.net
The Promising Practices Network (PPN) web site highlights programs and practices that credible research indicates are effective in improving outcomes for children, youth, and families. The information offered is organized around three major areas: Proven and Promising Programs, Research in Brief, and Strengthening Service Delivery.
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
www.nectac.org
NECTAC, the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, offers a web site that supports the implementation of the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center: Evidence-Based Practice
www.nectac.org/topics/evbased/evbased.asp
Recent federal legislation has focused on the importance of building a strong base of scientific evidence to inform educational policy and practice. This Web page provides a number of online resources related to understanding what constitutes "evidence" and how it is created. Each of our other topical pages, for example Inclusion or Child Identification, will include links to evidence-based practices in that area.
Screening
National Early Childhood TA Center: Early Identification
www.nectac.org/topics/earlyid/earlyid.asp
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Medicaid and EPSDT
www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/epsdt/default.asp
The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) service is Medicaid's comprehensive and preventive child health program for individuals under the age of 21. EPSDT was defined by law as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (OBRA 89) legislation and includes periodic screening, vision, dental, and hearing services. In addition, section 1905(r)(5) of the Social Security Act (the Act) requires that any medically necessary health care service listed at section 1905(a) of the Act be provided to an EPSDT recipient even if the service is not available under the State's Medicaid plan to the rest of the Medicaid population.
American Academy of Pediatrics: Developmental Surveillance and Screening of Infants and Young Children
aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;108/1/192
Early identification of children with developmental delays is important in the primary care setting. The pediatrician is the best-informed professional with whom many families have contact during the first 5 years of a child's life. Parents look to the pediatrician to be the expert not only on childhood illnesses but also on development. Early intervention services for children from birth to 3 years of age and early childhood education services for children 3 to 5 years of age are widely available for children with developmental delays or disabilities in the United States. Developmental screening instruments have improved over the years, and instruments that are accurate and easy to use in an office setting are now available to the pediatrician. This statement provides recommendations for screening infants and young children and intervening with families to identify developmental delays and disabilities
National Center On Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Developmental Screening
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/devtool.htm
Developmental screening is a procedure designed to identify children who should receive more intensive assessment or diagnosis, for potential developmental delays. It can allow for earlier detection of delays and improve child health and well-being for identified children.