Project Description:
Purpose: The goal of this program is to increase referrals to and coordination with Part C eligible children from the child welfare system.
Children and Families: Project activities will focus on children, birth to 36 months, who have, or are at-risk for developmental disabilities and who are enrolled in child welfare services through foster care or child protection on TANF.
Program Features: This program will use information in CWEST, Colorado’s child welfare database, and the Colorado Part C Child Count to identify children who may be Part C eligible, who are not receiving Part C services and supports. Names of these children will be provided to county social service workers, who will contact families regarding possible eligibility. Screening will be done through social services to determine if referral to Child Find is warranted. Project staff will work with social services and Child Find/Part C, and the Colorado PTI PEAK toward the objective of increasing 1) referrals to Part C and 2) coordination of services, supports and funding sources.
Technical Assistance Services will include: workshops, consultation, on-site technical assistance, and the provision of screening tools. Issues to be addressed will include screening children for eligibility, the referral process, and strategies that child welfare, Part C and other agencies participating in Part C can use to engage families in order to facilitate child enrollment in early intervention programs.
Evidence of Effectiveness: The effectiveness of these services will be reflected by increased referrals to Child Find and enrollment of target children in early intervention programs.
Need. In 1996, Part C services were provided to a total of 2,400 children in Colorado (This analysis is not yet available for the 1997 count due to changes made in the CWEST data system). Of the approximately 6,200 children, aged birth through three years, who received child welfare services in 1996, 13 percent or 807 children were also eligible for Part C services due to developmental conditions such as neurological disorders, and risks, such as substance exposure. However, only 152 or 19 percent of these 807 children were enrolled in Part C. These 152 children from child welfare represent only 6% of the total Part C children. A significant underrepresentation of this group.
Goals. In response to this need, goals of this demonstration project are to:
1. Increase collaboration between Child Welfare and Part C in Colorado at the state and local levels, resulting in increases in the number of children served and in increased coordination of funding sources for services and supports for eligible children and families.
2. Increase the number of referrals of Part C eligible children from underrepresented referral sources, particularly from Child Welfare to Part C.
3. Increase the referrals of, and services to children in the birth to one year age group from the current of .4 percent to the national goal of .8 percent over the four years of the project.
4. Evaluate the extent to which project outcomes are accomplished.
5. Disseminate project materials to appropriate audiences.
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Education & Early Intervention, Health-Related Activities, Quality of Life
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Single-County, Mulit-County, State
