Louisiana

Interagency Agreement for Services for Children with Disabilities in Early Head Start/Head Start Programs in Louisiana

Purpose
Area of Cooperation
    Communication
    Child Search
    Early Head Start / Head Start Recruitment and Enrollment
    Screening / Assessment / Evaluation
    Determination of Disability
    Joint Individualized Education Program (IEP) Development
    Joint Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Development
    Service Delivery Setting (3-5 Years)
    Service Delivery Setting (0-2 Years)
    Related Services
    Transition
    Shared Resources
    Public Awareness
    Dispute Resolution
    Service Monitoring
    Confidentiality
Review / Revision of Agreement
Date of Implementation

This Interagency Agreement between the Louisiana Department of Education (SDE) and the Regional Office of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), representing Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees, is binding on the staff of both departments as well as Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).

Purpose:
This agreement is written to assist Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees and LEAs in addressing their mutual commitment to serving young children with disabilities and their families through cooperative and collaborative agreements. Public Law 105-17, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Parts B and C, and Public Law 97-35 (Federal Head Start Act) and their respective regulations provide the federal legal basis for assuring that young children with disabilities receive services to meet their individual needs. It is expected that through collaborative efforts, LEAs, Early Head Start/Head Start and other agencies, including but not limited to Institutions of Higher Education, Protection and Advocacy, and Developmental Disabilities Councils, who provide services to children with disabilities, birth through five years and their families, will enter into cooperative agreements and/or contracts which establish procedures for compliance with the provisions of the IDEA and the Federal Head Start Act. Such collaboration and cooperation will improve services for young children with disabilities and their families while conserving resources and avoiding duplication of effort.

The purpose of this agreement is to provide guidance for collaborative and cooperative arrangements between Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees, Local Education Agencies, and other agencies that provide services to young children with disabilities and their families, in order to:

1) assure that young children with disabilities, three through five years of age, are provided a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and have access to the full range of services available;

2) assure that infants and toddlers with disabilities, birth through two years of age, are identified, referred, evaluated and receive appropriate early intervention services;

3) enhance the services continuum for children with disabilities;

4) facilitate the transition of children with disabilities between Part C, formerly Part H, services and Early Head Start/Head Start services and between Early Head Start/Head Start and LEA services;

5) maximize services to eligible children through structured formal written agreements between appropriate agencies;

6) conserve fiscal and human resources and avoid duplication of effort; and

7) maximize readiness skills and reading opportunities for children through the use of
emergent and family literacy.

Area of Cooperation:

Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees and LEAs must develop agreements within the context of this agreement that will define relationships and specify areas for cooperation and responsibility in accordance with the Regulations for Implementation of the Children With Exceptionalities Act (Bulletin 1706), the Pupil Appraisal Handbook (Bulletin 1508), the ChildNet State Plan (Bulletin l928) and the Head Start Performance Standards on Services for Children with Disabilities, (45 CFR 1304 Revised & 1308).

1) Communication: LEAs and Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees shall develop interagency networks of compatible systems for collecting and reporting information on children receiving services and the services provided. Children who meet eligibility under Bulletin 1508 will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) developed by the LEA on a form approved by the SDE or an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) developed by the Family Service Coordinator on a form approved by the SDE. Children receiving services under eligibility for Head Start (45 CFR 1308) will have an IEP developed by HeadStarton their approved form.

2) Child Search: LEAs and Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees shall establish mutual procedures for joint cooperation in the Child Search plan under Part B and Part C of IDEA and in accordance with Bulletin 1706, Bulletin 1928 and 45 CFR 1308. For children in Early Head Start suspected of having a disability/developmental delay, the LEA is the single point of entry into ChildNet. To assist the Part C program with identification, location, referral, and evaluation of infants and toddlers suspected of having disabilities/developmental delays, the Early Head Start Grantee should develop procedures to ensure that those infants and toddlers birth to age 3, on an Early Head Start waiting list and suspected of having a disability/developmental delay, are immediately referred to the local education agency (LEA) to determine ChildNet eligibility. The LEAs shall provide Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees with appropriate Child Search materials to be disseminated by the Early Head Start/Head Start Grantee.

3) Early Head Start/Head Start Recruitment and Enrollment: Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees shall provide the LEAs and other applicable agencies with appropriate Early Head Start/Head Start recruitment and enrollment materials for dissemination. The Early Head Start/Head Start Grantee must actively locate and recruit children with disabilities, birth through five years of age, to participate in the Early Head Start/Head Start program. A grantee must insure that staff engaged in recruitment and enrollment of children are knowledgeable about the provisions of 45 CFR Part 84, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance, and of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (42 U.S.C. 12101).

4) Screening/Assessment/Evaluation: The LEAs and Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees shall establish joint annual and ongoing activities to facilitate completion of screenings, assessments, and evaluations within the timelines according to Louisiana Bulletins 1706 and 1508, 45 CFR 1304 (Revised) and 45 CFR 1308. It is the responsibility of both parties to share information regarding parental notification/permission, release of information and joint personnel to ensure comprehensive screenings, assessments, and evaluations.

5) Determination of Disability: It is the responsibility of the LEAs to ensure that each child, birth through five years, suspected of having a disability is identified in accordance with the IDEA and Bulletin 1508. The Early Head Start/Head Start Grantee has the responsibility to recruit and enroll children with disabilities who are most in need of services and to coordinate with LEAs and other groups to benefit children with disabilities and their families. The Early Head Start Grantee should develop procedures to ensure that those infants and toddlers birth through age two, on an Early Head Start waiting list and suspected of having a disability, are identified and referred to the local education agency (LEA) to determine ChildNet eligibility. According to the 45 CFR 1304 (Revised) and 1308, children who meet the eligibility criteria established in Bulletin 1508 will be eligible for services from the Early Head Start/Head Start Grantee. Both LEA and Early Head Start/Head Start personnel shall serve cooperatively as members of the multidisciplinary team and share professional diagnostic services to reduce duplication of services. The LEAs shall accept evaluations provided by the Early Head Start/Head Start Grantee that meet the criteria established in Bulletin 1508.

6) Joint Individualized Education Program (IEP) Development: Children identified as eligible for services under IDEA and enrolled in a Head Start program must have an IEP developed by an IEP team to include appropriate representatives from the Head Start Program and the LEA in addition to other members as required by Bulletin 1706 and CFR 1308. The Head Start Grantee shall be responsible for the development and implementation of the IEP for those children who meet the regulations, CFR 1308, but are not considered as having a disability according to Bulletin 1508.

7) Joint Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Development: Children with disabilities, birth through two years of age, identified as eligible for services under Part C of IDEA and enrolled in an Early Head Start Program, must have an IFSP developed by the Family Service Coordinator and a committee that may include appropriate representatives from Early Head Start, the LEA, and other early intervention service providers as required by Bulletin 1928, Bulletin 1706, and CFR 1304 (Revised). Children who quality for ChildNet will have available to them the 16 ChildNet services that are provided by agencies who support early intervention, including the lead agency, and provided by qualified Part C early intervention providers as determined through the IFSP process. The Early Head Start Grantee must support parent participation in the evaluation and IFSP development process for infants and toddlers enrolled in their program

8) Service Delivery Setting (3-5 Years): Under the IDEA, LEAs are required to provide a free appropriate public education to all children with disabilities, three through twenty-one years of age. It is the responsibility of Head Start Grantees to make available, either directly or in cooperation with other agencies, including the LEAs, services in the least restrictive environment according to the IEP for at least 10% of enrolled children who meet the disability criteria. LEA and Head Start Grantee personnel serving on the IEP team shall explore various service delivery setting options to meet the individual needs of the child and the family.

9) Service Delivery Setting (0-2 Years): Early intervention service providers and Early Head Start Grantees must assure that early intervention services will be provided in natural environments for infants and toddlers with disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate. Early Head Start Grantees and early intervention service providers shall encourage parents to participate in the delivery of services in the natural environment. Effortsshould be made so that the provision of early intervention services outside the natural environment occur only when it cannot be achieved satisfactorily in the natural environment.

10) Related Services: LEAs are responsible for ensuring that all services required on the IEP are provided. The required IEP services may be provided by the LEA, the Early Head Start/Head Start Grantee, or a community agency, as appropriate. IDEA stresses the importance of collaboration with other agencies and requires maintenance of effort.

11) Transition: LEAs and Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees shall develop written procedures to insure a smooth transition of services between ChildNet and Head Start, Early Head Start and Head Start, and Head Start and the LEA to eliminate any disruption of services to the child and family. All information shared between agencies in this process shall be within the rules governing confidentiality and the due process rights of children and their parents set forth in the IDEA.

12) Shared Resources: LEAs and Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees shall share resources such as personnel, transportation, space, libraries, staff development and expertise in an effort to maximize available resources and reduce duplication. The training needs, including but not limited to distance learning of the Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees, the LEAs, and other appropriate agencies, should be taken into consideration when planning local, regional, and state personnel development activities.

13) Public Awareness: LEAs, Early Head Start Grantees, and Head Start Grantees will collaborate in providing information on the availability of services to children with disabilities and their families. The state of Louisiana Child Care Assistance Program received funding for the Map to Inclusive Child Care project as a method of obtaining valuable technical assistance not only for the agency, but for all partners throughout Louisiana. This grant will allow for important contributions in improving child care policies and practices in our state to be more responsive to children with disabilities. All Early Head Start, Head Start, and Local Education Agencies are encouraged to move in this direction and strive for inclusion in their programs. Training and technical assistance will be provided through collaborative efforts of the Region VI Disability Services Quality Improvement Center (DSQIC) and the Louisiana Department of Education.

14) Dispute Resolution: LEAs and Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees shall develop written procedures for resolving any conditions that may arise which are not governed by contracts and/or which may be in conflict with policies and resolutions governing both agencies. Every attempt shall be made to resolve conflicts at the local level. Assistance can be requested from the state collaboration office and/or the Region VI Head Start Disability Services Quality Improvement Center (DSQIC). Unresolved conflicts are to be reviewed and resolved jointly by the SDE and the ACF.

15) Service Monitoring: The provision of special educational services to children deemed eligible according to Bulletin 1508 in a Head Start Grantee facility will be subject to monitoring according to Louisiana Bulletin 1922, Compliance Monitoring Procedures. Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees will be monitored by the ACF.

16) Confidentiality: Confidentiality and due process procedures shall be maintained in accordance with 45 CFR 1304 (Revised) and 1308 and IDEA in all matters, including the sharing of information. Written informed parental permission is required prior to the release of information.

17) Review/Revision of Agreement: Representatives of the SDE, the Region VI-DSQIC, and the state interagency agreement committee, will review this agreement at least annually and make joint recommendations for any necessary modifications. Otherwise, no additions, deletions, or modifications can be made to this agreement without the joint written approval of the parties of this agreement. This contract may be terminated by either party upon thirty days written notice to all.

18) Date of Implementation: This agreement shall become effective upon signature of the agreeing parties. Once effective, the SDE will disseminate this agreement to the LEAs and Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees. The SDE and the Region VI-DSQIC will be available to assist LEAs and Early Head Start/Head Start Grantees in the development of local agreements, as needed.

Administration for Children and Families	Louisiana Department of Education
Leon R. McCowan, Hub Director	Region VI � Administration for Children and Families	Date
Cecil J. Picard, State Superintendent of Education	Louisiana Department of Education	Date
Barbara Pickney, President	Louisiana Head Start Association	Date
Billy E. Crawford, Assistant Superintendent	Office of Student and School Performance	Date