April 11, 2023 Review and Comment Period Now Open for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is inviting families, community members, child care providers, early childhood educators, and other professionals to review and make comments on the 2023 proposed grant application for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The review and comment period is now open and closes on Friday, April 28. About IDEA, IDEA Part C, and the IDEA Part C Application The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal grant program that assists states in providing early intervention and school-aged services to children with special needs. Part C of IDEA (also known as the Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program) provides early intervention services for children from birth through 36 months of age. Through the IDEA Part C application, children from birth to 36 months of age who have special needs due to developmental delays and disabilities are eligible to receive early intervention services at no cost to families. Depending on child needs, early intervention services can include family training, counseling, and home visits; occupational, physical, or speech therapy; hearing loss services; health, nutrition, and social work; assistance with service coordination; assistive technology devices and services; and transportation. The services provided to children and their families differ based upon the individual needs and strengths of each child and the child’s family. Services may be provided in the child’s home, child care center, nursery school, play group, Head Start program, early childhood special education classroom or other settings familiar to the family. Participate in Review and Comment Period Anyone who would like to review the proposed grant application can find the document at Early Intervention (pa.gov) or Early Intervention Services (pa.gov) on the right side menu of the webpages. Additionally, interested individuals can request a hard copy by emailing ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov or by calling 717.346.9320. Opportunities to provide public comment include: Mailing written comments to: Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports ATTN: Public Comments for Part C Grant Application 333 Market Street, 6th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333 Emailing written comments to: ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov Attending the Public Comment session from 10 – 11 a.m. on April 17 via Zoom. Session details: https://paiu.zoom.us/j/95889985301 877.369.0926 (US Toll Free) Meeting ID: 958 8998 5301 If you need an accommodation or assistance to review the proposed grant application or to submit comments, please contact ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov or call 717.346.9320. Comments will be accepted through Friday, April 28. Learn More The Department of Education will review all comments before submitting the final grant application. To learn more about the review and comment period, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. Sources The above information was compiled from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA), Pennsylvania Department of Education (DOE), and Pennsylvania Key websites. TweetShare1PinShare1 Shares
