Purpose and Scope
Service Mandates
Introduction
Hawaii Early Head Start Programs
Hawaii Early Intervening Services
Roles and Responsibilityes of EIS and EHS to Support Collaboration
Child Find and Referral
Screening
Evaluation and Eligibility
Care Coordination
Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP)
Service Delivery
Transition
Training/Monitoring
Transfer of Information and Confidentiality
Dispute Resolution
Meet Regularly
Signatures of Approval
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The Purpose of this Memorandum of Agreement between the State of Hawaii Department of Health, Early Intervention Section and the Administration for Children and Families, Region IX representing the Hawaii Early Head Start Grantees is to (1) define the collaborative relationship between Early Head Start and Early Intervening Section to ensure that eligible infants and toddlers under age 3 with or at risk for disabilities and their families receive the services and support as defined by the applicable State and Federal laws and regulations governing the respective agencies and (2) provide a state level framework for local Early Head Start and Early Intervention programs to develop local memorandums of agreement and operational procedures to support coordinated services.
SERVICE MANDATES
Head Start Performance Standards describe Head Start grantees’ responsibilities to establish community partnerships, including the development of interagency agreements when pursuing local partnerships.” [45 CFR Part 1304.41(a)(1) guidance]
INTRODUCTION
Hawaii Early Head Start Programs
Early Head Start is a federally funded program that “provides low-income pregnant woman and families with children from birth to age 3 with family-centered services that facilitate child development, support parental roles, and promote self-sufficiency.” [45 CFR Part 1304.3(a)(8)] The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through its regional offices, awards and administers grants to local public or private non-profit agencies to operate Early Head Start programs. Hawaii’s Early Head Start programs are geographically located as a result of this competitive grant process. Each Early Head Start grantee reflects its community’s unique needs and resources and partners with local organizations and agencies that focus on early childhood development, family support, health, and education.
Early Head Start programs follow federal performance standards to ensure that the “overall goal of increasing social competence of young children in low-income families” is attained through 1) ensuring well managed, quality programs that involve parents in decision-making, 2) cultivating partnerships within the community, 3) providing needed educational and health services, 4) strengthening and supporting parents as primary nurturers of their children, and 5) enhancing children’s growth and development.
The Head Start Program Performance Standards, which cover both Head Start and Early Head Start programs, mandate that at least 10 percent of enrollment opportunities are made available to children with disabilities. Hawaii Early Head Start programs work cooperatively with the Hawaii State Department of Health, Early Intervention Section to ensure that comprehensively services are provided to eligible infants and toddlers with or at risk for disabilities and their families.
Hawaii Early Intervention Services
Part C of IDEA (PL 105-17) mandated that Hawaii develop a comprehensive, coordinated, culturally-sensitive, family-centered statewide system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. The Hawaii Early Intervention State Plan and Section 321.351 – 353 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes defined the eligible population as those who are developmentally delayed (further defined as a delay in one or more areas based on professional opinion) or are at risk to biological and/or environmental issues.
The Department of Health’s Early Intervention Section assures that care coordination and evaluation services are available to all infants and toddlers who may be eligible for early intervention services. After eligibility is determined, an Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP) is developed, which identifies the needs of both child and family. The services that are mandated by IDEA, Part C and listed on the IFSP are available at no cost to families. Through care coordination, families are linked to a variety of services and programs that can meet their needs.
Services to eligible children and their families are provided through a combination of state and private early intervention programs, contracted providers, and other community providers. Care coordination is provided by social workers and other staff in the early intervention programs, social workers at the state Early Intervention Section, public health nurses, Healthy start home visitiors, Early Head Start program staff, and staff from other community programs.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EIS AND EHS TO SUPPORT COLLABORATION
Child Find and Referral
Early Intervention Section (EIS) will |
Early Head Start (EHS) will |
- provide to EHS programs appropriate child find and EIS materials that the EHS programs can disseminate to families and providers
- provide to EHS programs information regarding Hawaii’s three categories of eligibility: (1) developmental delay, (2) biological risk for developmental delay, and (3) environmental risk for developmental delay
- inform families about EHS as appropriate
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- coordinate with the EIS in identifying and locating infants and toddlers who are eligible for early intervention services under Hawaii’s Part C eligibility criteria
- coordinate with local Part C programs in referring infants and toddlers with disabilities, who may be eligible, to participate in early intervention programs
- provide to local Part C programs recruitment and enrollment information about EHS so that Part C programs can disseminate information to families
- clarify the specific selection criteria for each EHS program with Part C programs
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Screening
Early Intervention Section (EIS) will |
Early Head Start (EHS) will |
n/a |
- assure that all infants and toddlers enrolled in EHS receive developmental, sensory, behavioral, motor, language, social, cognitive, perceptual, and social-emotional screens
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Evaluation and Eligibility
Early Intervention Section (EIS) will |
Early Head Start (EHS) will |
- ensure that any child referred by EHS has an evaluation in all five developmental areas and a family assessment to determine eligibility for Part C services
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- coordinate with a Part C program to assure that evaluation services are provided for any child enrolled in EHS who has a suspected disability [45CFR Part 1304.20(f)(2)(ii)]
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Care Coordination
Early Intervention Section (EIS) will |
Early Head Start (EHS) will |
- work collaboratively with EHS to ensure that all eligible children and their families are provided care coordination services
- provide TA to support care coordination from EHS
|
- collaborate with the Part C agency to plan and deliver care coordination services for Part C eligible children enrolled in EHS and their families
- collaborate with the Part C agency to ensure ongoing communication and coordination for Part C eligible children enrolled in EHS and their families
- coordinate with the Part C agency to support the accomplishment of IFSP goals as part of the family partnership agreement process [45CFR Part 1304.40(a)(3)]
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Individualized Family Support Plan
Early Intervention Section (EIS) will |
Early Head Start (EHS) will |
- collaborate in the development of an IFSP for any Part C child served both by a Part C program and EHS
- provide training on IFSP development as necessary
|
- collaborate in the development of an IFSP for any Part C child served both by a Part C program and EHS
- ensure that parents are actively involved in the IFSP process
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Service Delivery
Early Intervention Section (EIS) will |
Early Head Start (EHS) will |
- assure that all mandated early intervention services, as identified on the IFSP, are provided in collaboration with EHS
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- communicate and coordinate on an ongoing basis with the Part C program to monitor the appropriateness of the services and supports provided to Part C eligible children in EHS
- support the attainment of the expected outcomes contained in the IFSP for infants and toddlers and their families enrolled in EHS [45 CFR Part C 1304.20(f)(2)(i)]
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Transition
Early Intervention Section (EIS) will |
Early Head Start (EHS) will |
- provide training to EHS staff on legal responsibilities regarding transition to support referrals of EHS children to DOE or another appropriate setting(s) for children who are aging out of EHS
- support EHS in planning and scheduling meetings between EHS and the local education agency at least 60-90 days prior to the child’s third birthday to discuss transition planning and Part B services for eligible children, and other community services as appropriate for non-eligible children
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- develop transition plans according to EHS performance standards requirements in coordination with Part C to ensure the smooth transition of infants/toddlers with disabilities and their families from EHS to DOE or other appropriate settings at least six months prior to the child’s third birthday [45CFR Part 1304.41(c)(2)]
- support transition of EHS and Part C eligible children to their next setting as appropriate
- inform and support families to participate in the transition process as key decision makers [45CFR Parts 1305.20(f)(2)(iii), 1304.40(h)]
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Training/Monitoring
Early Intervention Section (EIS) will |
Early Head Start (EHS) will |
- include EHS staff in the Part C annual needs assessment as part of the state’s Comprehensive System of Personnel Development
- share training opportunities and resources with EHS staff and parents, including care coordination and other training that is not available through EHS resources
- ensure that IDEA Part C requirements are met for infants and toddlers with IFSPs who are enrolled in EHS programs
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- Share training opportunities and resources with early intervention staff
- Ensure that EHS staff are trained on IDEA Part C requirements
- Inform EIS of any training needs of EHS staff related to meeting the needs of infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families
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Transfer of Information and Confidentiality
EIS and EHS together will |
- clarify with parents the need to share relevant information regarding their child and family to ensure coordination of services between early intervention and EHS programs
- with written parental consent, share information about the child and family to ensure the coordination of services
- comply with all applicable federal and state statutes, as appropriate, and rules regarding use of disclosure of information, including but not limited to information concerning children receiving services under this requirement
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Dispute Resolution
EIS and EHS together will |
- develop a process to handle any misunderstandings or differences of opinion that interfere with accomplishing the objectives of this agreement
- resolve disputes at the lowest administrative level possible; however, if assistance is needed, request support from their respective agencies (i.e., Hawaii Department of Health and the Region IX Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau)
- ensure that all Part C services will continue throughout any dispute regarding Part C services
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Meet Regularly
EIS and EHS together will |
- meet at least once a year to assess and review collaboration and to make any recommendations as to how collaboration could be improved
- review this MOA annually by the Region IX Administration for Children and Families, representing Hawaii Early Head Start programs, and the Hawaii Department of Health, Early Intervention Section to recommend changes. Any recommended revisions must be approved by both agencies
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SIGNATURES OF APPROVAL
Each agency, by the signature below of its authorized representative, hereby acknowledges understanding of this agreement and agrees to be bound by its terms. This interagency agreement will remain binding on all successors in interest of the signatories of this agreement and the agencies they represent.
The term of this interagency agreement shall begin on the date of signatures and continue until replaced by a new agreement.
May 29, 2003
Sharon M. Fujii
Regional Hub Director
Pacific-West Regional Hub
Head Start Bureau – Region IX
Administration for Children and Families
November 29, 2002
Dr. Bruce AndersonHawaii
Department of Health
December 11, 2002
Lyn McNeff
Hawaii Head Start Association President
November 25, 2002
Susan Brown, M.Ed.
Supervisor, Early Intervention Section
