Collaboration between early intervention and child welfare agencies: a survey of State Part C coordinators

ABSTRACT

The 2003 reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) mandated that state child welfare systems conduct developmental screening with all children under the age of three. Research indicates that states have struggled with this mandate. This 2014 study assessed how states chose to screen children for developmental delays or disabilities and refer them for early intervention services. Representatives from 47 State Part C Early Intervention Systems responded to a survey that asked about how screenings are conducted, degree of interagency collaboration, perceptions of current plans, and training. Results indicate inconsistency in developmental screening efforts, variability in state plans, funding, and training may all play a role in the inconsistency.

KEYWORDS:

• early intervention
• CAPTA
• developmental screening
• child welfare
• intellectual and developmental disabilities

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patrick Shannon

Patrick Shannon has extensive direct care, administrative, and research experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and brings expertise in the area of advocacy, policy analysis, development and implementation. His research focuses on the interconnection between intellectual and developmental disabilities and child maltreatment, with an emphasis on the child welfare system’s ability to respond to and support children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has numerous publications in child welfare, disability, and social work journals. He was Co-Principal Investigator of the Center for Professional Excellence in Child Welfare; is coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities program; is a faculty member on the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funded New Hampshire-Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NH-LEND) program. Finally, he was a member of State of New Hampshire’s Governor’s Commission on Disability.