Debra Nelson Institute on Disability/UCED University of NH 2/7/05 OSEP NATIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE ‘05 Beyond the Demo: What’s Next for Child Find? Debra Nelson Institute on Disability/UCED University of NH 2/7/05

Purpose of this session: Share information about outcomes and lessons learned from Early Connections and Links to Early Learning Discuss with you the next generation of child find challenges, opportunities, and strategies

Lesson #1: Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate… “Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for the children.” Sitting Bull

Over 130 people dedicated their time to Early Connections 4 state committees 6 local teams Ad hoc committees

And here’s what they accomplished: N of infants (birth to one year) served by Part C increased in all 6 project regions.

N of infants (birth to 3) served by Part C increased in 4 of 5 project regions. Statewide: 48% increase (1998-2004) (1,867 - 2,761)

Additionally…. Centralized statewide dissemination via Family Resource Connection (includes free Ages & Stages Questionnaire) (Squires, Potter & Bricker, 1995) Teams adopted exemplary child find practices (valid screening, public awareness, collaboration, etc.)

State ICC, Part C lead agency, & MCH are promoting state-level recommendations Lions Club Operation Kidsight vision screening in Year 3: 226 screened; 20 referred for eye exams

Lesson #2: Leverage Resources Your time/their funds (e.g., Lions Club, Maternal & Child Health; NH Pediatric Society) Your funds/their time (project products/ongoing dissemination via Family Resource Connection at the NH State Library) More than $1,760,000 secured as direct result of project

Lesson #2: Leverage Resources Links to Early Learning Building a bridge between child care, primary healthcare, child protective services, early literacy, parents & children, early intervention & early learning

First Round of Links… 11 sites (primary healthcare, child protective services) 2,185 children screened (11/1/02 – 7/31/04) 120 (5.5%) referred to EI; 75 (3.43%) referred to school district Concern found for 496 (22.7%). Referred to Head Start, Early Head Start, EI, Part B/619, playgroups, MD, library programs, etc.)

Current Links project… Screen 3,000 children aged birth to 5 at 17 sites (including 3 child protective services) Training/TA to 200 childcare programs (early literacy, early identification/ screening, early language development, talking to parents about concerns, inclusion, health issues, and vision screening)

Current Links (continued)… Training/TA to libraries on early literacy for infants and toddlers and community outreach Books for Babies…and Beyond bags to 1500 families; Reading Together Kits to 31 libraries

Lesson #3: Don’t give up on the challenges Difficulty learning outcomes of referrals due to confidentiality (i.e., was the child eligible?) Funding screening in partnership with primary care and child protective services Working with nontraditional partners Sustaining approaches and practices that work

Sometimes the challenges feel bigger than you…

And sometimes they don’t…

For more information, contact: Debra Nelson, MS, Project Director Early Connections Project Co-director, Links to Early Learning Institute on Disability/UCED, University of NH 10 West Edge Drive, Suite 101 Durham, NH 03824 603-862-0560 Djnelson@unh.edu www.iod.unh.edu Article: Rx for early identification: Early identification through community collaboration: www.dbpeds.org, articles