Each year nearly 900,000 cases of child abuse and neglect are substantiated in the United States, with the highest rates of maltreatment occurring among infants and toddlers. Children exposed to maltreatment are at increased risk of developmental delay. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act specifies that children under age 3 with substantiated cases of abuse or neglect must have access to early intervention under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This research examines state practices developed by Part C agencies in response to new regulations. Part C agency representatives provided input on referrals, screening, evaluation, services, and tracking methods through a semistructured survey. Results indicate a need for standardized referral processes, increased agency understanding of consent procedures for children in foster care, coordination of routine screenings between child welfare and Part C, cross-agency training, and the development of tracking databases. Specific recommendations are provided.
Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. (2005). Children. In Child maltreatment 2005 . Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved April 1, 2008, from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm05/chapterthree.htm#subjects
2.
Aldgate, J., Colton, M., Ghate, D., & Heath, A. (1992). Attainment and stability in long-term foster care . Children & Society, 6, 91-103.
3.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care. (1994). Health care of children in foster care. Pediatrics, 93, 335.
4.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption and Dependent Care. (2000). Developmental issues for young children in foster care. Pediatrics, 106, 1145-1150.
5.
Ayasse, R. (1995). Addressing the needs of foster children: The foster youth services program. Social Work Education, 17, 207-216.
6.
Bagnato, S.J., Neisworth, J.T., Salvia, J.J., & Hunt, F.M. (1999). Temperament and Atypical Behavior Scale (TABS): Early childhood indicators of developmental dysfunction. Baltimore: Brookes.
7.
Battistelli, E.S. (1998). The health care of children in out-of-home care: A survey of state child welfare commissioners. Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America.
8.
Carter, A.S., Briggs-Gowan, M.J., & Davis, N.O. (2004). Assessment of young children's social-emotional development and psychopathology: Recent advances and recommendations for practice . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 109-134.
9.
Chaffin, M., Silovsky, J.F., Funderburk, B., Valle, L.A., Brestan, E.V., Balachova, T., et al. (2004). Parent-child interaction therapy with physically abusive parents: Efficacy for reducing future abuse reports. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 500-510.
10.
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-36, 42 U.S.C. § 5106 (2003).
11.
Child Welfare League of America. (2007). Standards for health care services for children in out-of-home care. Washington, DC: Author.
12.
Dicker, S., & Gordon, E. (2006). Critical connections for children who are abused and neglected: Harnessing the new federal referral provision for early intervention . Infants and Young Children, 19, 170-178.
13.
Dicker, S., Gordon, E., & Knitzer, J. (2001). Improving the odds for healthy development for young children in foster care (Policy Brief 2). New York : National Center for Children in Poverty.
14.
Guralnick, M.J. (1997). The effectiveness of early intervention. Baltimore: Brookes.
15.
Guralnick, M.J. (1998). Effectiveness of early intervention for vulnerable children: A developmental perspective. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 102, 319-345.
16.
Guralnick, M.J. (2005). Early intervention for children with intellectual disabilities: Current knowledge and future prospects. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 18, 313-324.
17.
Herschell, A., & McNeil, C.B. (2005). Theoretical and empirical underpinnings of parent-child interaction therapy with child physical abuse populations. Education and Treatment of Children, 28, 142-162.
18.
Horwitz, S.M., Owens, P., & Simms, M.D. (2000). Specialized assessments for children in foster care. Pediatrics, 106, 59-66.
19.
Hurlburt, M.S., Barth, R.P., Leslie, L.K., Landsverk, J.A., & McRae, J. (2007). Building on strengths: Current status and opportunities for improvement of parent training for families in child welfare. In R. Haskins, F. Wulczyn, & M. B. Webb (Eds.), Child protection: Using research to improve policy and practice (pp. 81-106). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
20.
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Amendments, 20 U.S.C., § 1400 et seq. (1997).
21.
Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 20 U.S.C., § 1400 et seq. (2004).
22.
Klee, L., Kronstadt, D., & Zlotnick, C. (1997). Foster care's youngest: A preliminary report. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 67, 290-299.
23.
LeBuffe, P.A., & Naglieri, J.A. (2003). The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA): A measure of within-child protective factors in preschool children. Villanova, PA: Institute of Clinical Training and Research. Retrieved January 30, 2007, from http://www.devereuxearlychildhood.org
24.
Leslie, L.K., Gordon, J., Ganger, W., & Gist, K. (2002). Developmental delay in young children in child welfare by initial placement type. Infant Mental Health Journal , 23, 496-516.
25.
Leslie, L.K., Gordon, J.N., Lambros, K., Premji, K., Peoples, J., & Gist, K. (2005). Addressing the developmental and mental health needs of young children in foster care. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 26, 140-151.
26.
Leslie, L.K., Kelleher, K.J., Burns, B.L., Landsverk, J., & Rolls, J.A. (2003). Managed care: Making it work for children in foster care. Child Welfare, 82, 367-392.
27.
Linares, L.O., Montalto, D., Li, M., & Oza, V.S. (2006). A promising parenting intervention in foster care . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 32-41.
28.
Reams, R. (1999). Children birth to three entering the state's custody . Infant Mental Health Journal, 20, 166-174.
29.
Robinson, C., & Rosenberg, S. (2004). Child welfare referrals to Part C. Journal of Early Intervention, 26, 284-291.
30.
Robinson, C., Rosenberg, S.A., Teele, M.K., Stainback-Tracy, K., Swope, S., & Conrad, D. (2003). Interagency collaboration: A guidebook for child welfare and Part C agencies. Denver, CO: JFK Partners, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Retrieved January 31, 2006, from http://jfkpartners.org/Content/PDF/InteragencyGuidebook.pdf
31.
Rosenberg, S.A., Smith, G., & Levinson, A. (2007). Identifying young maltreated children with developmental delays. In R. Haskins, F. Wulczyn, & M. B. Webb (Eds.), Child protection: Using research to improve policy and practice (pp. 35-43). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
32.
Shackelford, J. (2006). State and jurisdictional eligibility definitions for infants and toddlers with disabilities under IDEA. NECTAC Notes, 21, 1-15.
33.
Shonkoff, J., & Phillips, D. (2000). National Research Council and Institute of Medicine: From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development . Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
34.
Silver, J., Haecker, T., & Forkey, H. (1999). Health care for young children in foster care . In J. Silver, B. Amster, & T. Haecker (Eds.), Young children and foster care (pp. 161-193). Baltimore: Brookes.
35.
Squires, J., Bricker, D., & Twombly, E. (2002). Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE). Baltimore: Brookes.
36.
Stahmer, A.C., Leslie, L.K., Hurlburt, M., Barth, R.P., Webb, M.B., Landsverk, J., et al. (2005). Developmental and behavioral needs and service use for young children in child welfare. Pediatrics , 116, 891-900.
37.
Stahmer, A.C., Leslie, L.K., Landsverk, J., Zhang, J., & Rolls, J.A. (2006). Developmental services for young children in foster care: Assessment and delivery. Journal of Social Services Research, 33, 27-38.
Urquiza, A.J., Wirtz, S.J., Peterson, M.D., & Singer, V.A. (1994). Screening and evaluating abused and neglected children entering protective custody. Child Welfare, 73, 155-171.
40.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. (1993). Child neglect: A guide for intervention (pp. 1-50). Washington, DC : Westover Consulting.
41.
ZERO TO THREE Policy Center. (2003). Improving Part C early intervention: Using what we know about infants and toddlers with disabilities to reauthorize Part C of IDEA. Retrieved February 3, 2006, from http://www.zerotothree.org/policy
42.
ZERO TO THREE Policy Center. (2004). Infants, toddlers, and child welfare: Fact sheet. Retrieved January 26, 2006, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=key_childabuse
43.
ZERO TO THREE Policy Center. (2005). Restructuring the federal child welfare system: Assuring the safety, permanence and well-being of infants and toddlers in the child welfare system. Retrieved January 7, 2006, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=key_childabuse
