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Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and ...

REPORT. Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs Promising Strategies in Four communities Taniesha A. Woods | Sheila Smith | Janice L. Cooper June 2010. The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is the nation's leading public policy center dedicated to Promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America's low-income families and children. Using research to inform policy and practice, NCCP seeks to advance family-oriented solutions and the strategic use of public resources at the state and national levels to ensure positive outcomes for the next generation. Founded in 1989 as a division of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, NCCP is a nonpartisan, public interest research organization. Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs Promising Strategies in Four communities Taniesha A. Woods, Sheila Smith, Janice L. Cooper Authors Acknowledgements Taniesha A.

PromoTIng ThE SocIal-EmoTIonal WEllbEIng of InfanTS and ToddlErS In Early InTErvEnTIon ProgramS Promising Strategies in four communities Taniesha A. Woods, Sheila Smith, Janice L. Cooper

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1 REPORT. Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs Promising Strategies in Four communities Taniesha A. Woods | Sheila Smith | Janice L. Cooper June 2010. The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is the nation's leading public policy center dedicated to Promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America's low-income families and children. Using research to inform policy and practice, NCCP seeks to advance family-oriented solutions and the strategic use of public resources at the state and national levels to ensure positive outcomes for the next generation. Founded in 1989 as a division of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, NCCP is a nonpartisan, public interest research organization. Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs Promising Strategies in Four communities Taniesha A. Woods, Sheila Smith, Janice L. Cooper Authors Acknowledgements Taniesha A.

2 Woods, PhD, is a senior research associate at The work embodied in this report is supported by the NCCP. She is the co-investigator and project director for the Commonwealth Fund under the leadership of our project Pathways to Early School Success: Improving State and Local officer, Gretchen Hagedow and program director, Dr. Ed Capacity. Her research focuses on the promotion of early Schor. The authors gratefully acknowledge members of childhood intellectual development, mathematics education, NCCP's communications team for their work: Morris Ardoin, and educational equity. Amy Palmisano, and Telly Valdellon. We also appreciate the work of Maureen Greer of Emerald Consulting who Sheila Smith, PhD, is director of early childhood at NCCP. conducted the case study interviews. Special thanks to key Dr. Smith directs the Improving the Odds for Young Children respondents in Kansas, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and project. Her research focuses on the role of early childhood California. programs and policies to promote the healthy development and school readiness of young children.

3 Janice L. Cooper, PhD, is interim director at NCCP and assistant clinical professor, Health Policy and Management at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Cooper directs Unclaimed Children Revisited, a series of policy and impact analyses of mental health services for children, adolescents, and their families. From 2005 to 2010, she led NCCP's health and mental health team. Copyright 2010 by the National Center for Children in Poverty Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs Promising Strategies in Four communities Taniesha A. Woods | Sheila Smith | Janice L. Cooper June 2010. SECTION 1. Introduction, Study Rationale, and Methodology .. 4. Project Overview .. 4. The Part C Early Intervention 5. Case-study 5. SECTION 2. Study Findings .. 6. Promising Approaches to Screening, Eligibility, and Support of At-risk 6. Enhancing the Skills of Professionals who Provide Early Intervention 7. Interagency Collaborations that Strengthen Supports for Young Children's Social-emotional 9.

4 Funding Strategies that Provide a Foundation for Effective Prevention and Intervention .. 10. SECTION 3. Key Findings, Conclusion, and 11. Summary of Key 11. 12. Recommendations .. 12. Appendix A: New Mexico Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) 14. Appendix B: Excerpt from the Massachusetts Interagency Coordinating Council Vision Statement on Training of Early Intervention Personnel .. 19. 20. National Center for Children in Poverty 3. SECTION 1. Introduction, Study Rationale, and Methodology State Early Intervention programs provided through Despite our current knowledge about the importance Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education of young children's Social-emotional Wellbeing , EI. Improvement Act (IDEIA) offer unique opportu- programs across states show highly varying levels nities to enhance children's chances of realizing of attention to the Social-emotional needs of Infants their full educational and personal potential. Early and toddlers. For example, most states do not Intervention (EI) services provided to Infants and require that a professional with expertise in early toddlers, birth up to age 3, with identified disabili- Social-emotional development sit on the evaluation ties can greatly reduce the long-term negative con- team that determines Infants ' and toddlers' eligibil- sequences of early developmental In states ity for EI However, promising policies and where program eligibility is extended to children practices are emerging in some states and commu- who are at-risk for serious developmental delays, nities, and these suggest strategies for strengthen- EI services can help prevent disabilities and set ing the efforts of EI programs to promote children's children on a healthy developmental path toward Social-emotional growth across the country.

5 School readiness, academic success, and positive social , 3, 4 In addition to intervening Project Overview very early in children's lives, a strength of EI as a preventive program lies in its mandate to address This brief presents promising approaches to sup- problems across all areas of young children's devel- port the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and opment including cognitive, communication, social , toddlers through the Part C Program. The strategies emotional, and physical delays. discussed in this brief were identified through case studies carried out in four communities : Boston, There is strong evidence that young children's social - Massachusetts; Los Angeles County, California;. emotional Wellbeing provides the foundation for Do a Ana County, New Mexico; and Southeast success in school and the ability to pursue positive Kansas. These case studies were part of a larger proj- life , 6 Children who enter school able to man- ect designed to show different policy options that age their emotions, engage in trusting relationships states use to support strategies that target social - with adults, and use social skills that help them emotional development as part of a comprehensive get along with peers have been shown to be more approach to early intervention services.

6 The proj- engaged in classroom learning than children lacking ect included a 50-state survey of Part C Program these , 6 Because children with strong coordinators, the individuals who are responsible Social-emotional competencies can make the most of for administering the Part C Program in compli- learning opportunities, they experience greater aca- ance with federal and state requirements. Findings demic success and are less likely to develop problem from this survey are reported in Promoting social - behaviors that often occur together with learning Emotional Wellbeing in Early Intervention Services: , 6 In contrast, young children's difficul- A Fifty State As a companion to the survey ties with challenging behavior, weak social skills, and report, this brief examines exemplary policies and other Social-emotional problems tend to persist or practices that highlight the potential of the Part C. worsen in the absence of interventions and create Early Intervention Program to play a major role in significant obstacles to learning and social adjust- reducing the risk of long-term Social-emotional and ment throughout their behavioral difficulties of vulnerable children.

7 4 Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs This brief is organized into three sections: who do not have disabilities. In addition, states 1) A review of the Part C Program and the case- must develop personnel standards for providers of study methodology; EI services, develop a comprehensive system of per- sonnel development, and create a state Interagency 2) Promising Strategies: Coordinating Council to help ensure the availability approaches to screening, eligibility, and of the full range of needed supports for Infants and support of at-risk children;. toddlers with disabilities and their families, and to methods for enhancing the skills of support the identification of exceptionally vulner- professionals who provide Early Intervention able children. services;. interagency collaborations that strengthen Subsequent reauthorizations of the Individuals with supports for young children's Social-emotional Disabilities Education Act have strengthened the Wellbeing ; law's intent to ensure that highly vulnerable children funding strategies that support promising gain access to EI services.

8 In 2004, the reauthoriza- programs; and tion of the Individuals with Disabilities Education 3) A summary of key findings and related recom- Act [renamed Individuals with Disabilities mendations for expanding states' and communi- Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)] required ties' use of promising early intervention strate- states to include a description of their policies for gies that support the Social-emotional Wellbeing referral to the Part C system for Infants and toddlers of Infants and toddlers. involved in substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect, affected by illegal substance abuse, or expe- The Part C Early Intervention Program riencing withdrawal symptoms resulting from pre- natal drug exposure. This change was spurred by the The program now called Part C of the Individuals 2003 reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention with Disabilities Education Improvement Act and Treatment Act (CAPTA). Under CAPTA, child (IDEIA) was originally created in 1986 when protective agencies are required to refer a child Congress passed landmark federal education dis- involved in a substantiated case of child abuse or ability legislation, Under IDEIA, neglect to the Part C Early Intervention program for states receive assistance to implement a statewide developmental screening or coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system of early intervention services for Infants and tod- Case-study Methodology dlers with disabilities and their families.

9 While participation is voluntary, all states currently have NCCP invited four communities in states that Part C programs. A lead agency appointed by the responded to its survey of Part C coordinators to governor, most often the department of health or participate in a more detailed study. These com- education, administers this program and works to munities were selected on the basis of regional, ensure that federal requirements are met. According linguistic, and racial-ethnic diversity and promising to these requirements, states must implement public features of their Part C Early Intervention programs. awareness activities known as Child Find, a set Key informants (such as early childhood and mental of activities for identifying and referring children health leaders) along with community and state- with disabilities; establish and use clear eligibility level Part C professionals were interviewed during criteria; and provide evaluations to determine eligi- site visits and in follow-up discussions.

10 The case bility using these criteria. For children found to be studies focused on the Part C program's history and eligible for services, EI programs must work with goals, interagency collaboration, eligibility, work- families to design an Individualized Family Service force capacity and development, and funding. Plan (IFSP) and provide appropriate early interven- tion services in settings that are typical for children National Center for Children in Poverty 5. SECTION 2. Study Findings Promising Approaches to Screening, Massachusetts Risk Factors for Eligibility Eligibility, and Support of At-risk Children Child Characteristics: A promising finding from the 50-state survey of Birth weight less than 1,200 grams (2 pounds 10. Part C coordinators shows that 70 percent of the ounces). state EI programs recommend the use of validated Gestational age less than 32 weeks screening tools for identifying possible social - NICU admission more than five days emotional delays in Infants and toddlers.


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