Early Steps (Part C) of IDEA to Prek Disabilities (Part B) of IDEA
The Early Head Start National Resource Center http://www.ehsnrc.org/AboutUs/Index.htm
The Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHS NRC) was created in 1995 by the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The EHS NRC is a storehouse of early childhood expertise that promotes the building of new knowledge and the sharing of information by:
Linking and actively engaging the Early Head Start and the Head Start community through opportunities in coordination with the Office of Head Start's On-line Learning Center, to share resources and learn from one another in a variety of venues;
Creating, collecting, and disseminating information relevant to comprehensive early childhood programs that is timely, accessible, and easy to use; and
Providing professional development opportunities for the Early Head Start and Head Start community through face-to-face meetings and state-of-the-art distance learning experiences.
Florida Head Start http://www.floridaheadstart.org/about.html
Head Start is made up of four program components: Head Start (or Preschool Head Start), Migrant Head Start, American Indian Head Start and Early Head Start. Head Start and its four components are comprehensive child development programs which serve children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families. They are child-focused programs and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.
Children's Medical Services http://www.cms-kids.com/default.htm
The Children's Medical Services (CMS) program provides children with special health care needs with a family centered, managed system of care. Children with special health care needs are those children under age 21 whose serious or chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions require extensive preventive and maintenance care beyond that required by typically healthy children.
CMS provides a comprehensive continuum of medical and supporting services to medically and financially eligible children and high-risk pregnant women. The continuum of care includes prevention and early intervention programs, primary care, medical and therapeutic specialty care and long-term care. Services are provided through an integrated statewide system that includes local, regional, and tertiary care facilities and providers.
Local Resource & Referral Agencies (R&Rs) offer free information and referral services to all families seeking quality early care and School Readiness Programs and out of school time solutions. R&R's also assist in the recruitment, startup and support of providers and promote quality, availability and affordability of services available in their communities.
The CCR&R Network maintains the only comprehensive statewide database of child care, school readiness, and school age programs and service providers.
The Children's Forum http://www.flchild.com
The Children's Forum provides leadership and advocacy for affordable quality early care and education for all children. The Children's Forum provides a broad array of services to assist policymakers, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, associations, coalitions, child care agencies, early childhood teachers, directors and administrators in furthering their goals.
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council http://www.fddc.org/HOME/index.asp
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council encourages and advocates opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and their families, to enhance their quality of life within their communities.
The Council will accomplish its mission by supporting innovative initiatives that demonstrate new approaches to enhance the independence, productivity, inclusion and self-determination of individuals with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life.
State of Florida Agency of Persons with Disabilities http://www.apd.myflorida.com/about/
The primary mission of the State of Florida Agency of Persons with Disabilities (APD) is to support persons with developmental disabilities in living, learning, and working, in all aspects of community life. The APD works in partnership with local communities and private providers to assist people who have developmental disabilities and their families. APD also provides assistance in identifying the needs of people with developmental disabilities for supports and services.
Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood http://www.dec-sped.org/aboutdec.html
The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) is one of seventeen divisions of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) - the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted.
DEC is especially for individuals who work with or on behalf of children with special needs, birth through age eight, and their families. Founded in 1973, the Division is dedicated to promoting policies and practices that support families and enhance the optimal development of children. Children with special needs include those who have disabilities, developmental delays, are gifted/talented, or are at risk of future developmental problems.
The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center http://www.nectac.org/topics/transition/transition.asp
The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center supports the implementation of the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Our mission is to strengthen service systems to ensure that children with disabilities (birth through five) and their families receive and benefit from high quality, culturally appropriate, and family-centered supports and services. This site provides a variety of informational resources for families, teachers and administrators working with the issue of transition into and out of preschool special education programs.
The National Early Childhood Transition Center http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/NECTC
The National Early Childhood Transition Center's (NECTC) mission is to examine factors that promote successful transitions between infant/toddler programs, preschool programs, and public school programs for young children with disabilities and their families. The primary objective of the NECTC is to investigate and validate practices and strategies that enhance the early childhood transition process and support positive school outcomes for children with disabilities. This objective will be met through four inter-related research activities.
Planning Your Child's Transition to Preschool: A Step-by-Step Guide for Families http://facts.crc.uiuc.edu/facts4/facts4.html
This on-line accessible manual is written for families. It is designed to assist families in preparing for the transition from early intervention services to preschool or other educational services at age three. It provides information about the transition process, federal and state laws that apply to transition, and options for services and program placements. This manual also provides strategies that will help families prepare for transition and participate in the transition process.
Florida's Transition Project for Infants, Young Children and Their Families http://www.floridatransitionproject.ucf.edu/
Florida's Transition Project for Infants, Young Children and Their Families assists local communities in establishing trained teams to develop a seamless system of transition among agencies providing services to young children with disabilities, birth to six years of age, and their families. The team identifies issues and barriers to transition and creates an action plan. The plan outlines how the team will resolve the issues and build on community strengths in defining the community's transition system. The team also sets timelines and implements the plan accordingly.
Terrific Transitions, Supporting Children's Transition to Kindergarten http://www.serve.org/TT/
This website is a collaborative effort of the SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory and the National Head Start Association. Our goal is to provide a wide variety of transition information and resources for families, professionals, and community partnerships to use as they address children's transitions into kindergarten.
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