The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is the state lead agency for Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and must administer the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program. The ESIT program provides early intervention services to all eligible children with disabilities from birth to three years of age. Early intervention services include services such as occupational or physical therapy; speech-language pathology; psychological, health, vision, social work; and other services.
To be eligible, a child must have a 25 percent delay or show a 1.5 standard deviation below his or her age in one or more of the developmental areas. A child may also be eligible if he or she has a physical or mental condition that is known to cause a delay in development.
Funding for ESIT must be appropriated to DCYF based on a certain formula for children ages birth to three who are eligible for and receiving early intervention services. A child is receiving early intervention services if the child has received services within a month prior to the monthly count day. The monthly count day is the first business day of the month.
For the purposes of ESIT funding, a child is receiving early intervention services if the child has received services within the same month as the monthly count day instead of the month prior. The monthly count day is changed from the first business day of the month to the last business day of the month.
No public hearing was held.
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PRO: A deep appreciation that the Committee is hearing this bill. ESIT is the starting point in the special education continuum. It is an entitlement program, which provides a number of services ranging from occupational to physical therapy, and other family resources.
In 2020, ESIT transferred from OSPI to DCYF, and with this came a statutory change that shifted the timing of the payment. As a result, providers are not reimbursed for services delivered on behalf of the state. This bill would fix this unfair and counterproductive payment system, and allow providers to be paid for the full months of services rendered.
Being a high schooler, I have encountered many children with disabilities who were unable to access the services they needed. I feel the need to testify because there are 11 million U.S. children with special needs and our government has promised to provide education so that no child is left behind. This includes education offerings that are adaptable to the needs of individual children. ESIT should be available in every preschool. The best funding solution is one that is based upon the number of disabled children so that each child in need receives assistance to allow for a more inclusive educational framework.
The CFC has found that brain development in early years is crucial and will provide a strong foundation for the future. We should invest in ESIT so as to support these childrens' development and thereby support our communities.
The change in this bill can be confusing. I've learned that professionals can spend a month on assessment and evaluation work without state funding. This bill makes funding more available.