Child Development Infoline: the access point for the Connecticut Birth to Three System, the Help Me Grow Program, Preschool Special Education Services, and Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program.

Child Development Infoline

The Child Development Infoline (CDI) unit serves as the access point for the Connecticut Birth to Three System, the Help Me Grow Program, Preschool Special Education Services, and Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program. Care Coordinators provide information about general development, coping with challenging behaviors, disability and health related issues. Based on their child and family's needs, CDI Care Coordinators are able to refer families of children, ages birth to eighteen, to services offered through the Birth to Three System, the Help Me Grow Program, Preschool Special Education Services, and/or Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program.

The Birth to Three System was created for Connecticut families whose children under 3 years of age have significant delays or disabilities. The goal is to help each family help their child to be active in his or her natural environments, during their normal routines and in places where the child lives, learns and plays. The Birth to Three System works to help families meet their child's unique developmental needs. Connecticut's system offers supports and services through different approved Birth to Three programs. If there are concerns for a child's development, CDI Care Coordinators can refer the family to an approved Birth to Three program that serves their town for an evaluation to determine eligibility for early intervention services. For more information on the Connecticut Birth to Three System, visit the Birth to Three website at www.birth23.org.

The Help Me Grow program helps to find services for children, birth through age 5, who are at risk for developmental or behavioral concerns, including children who might not meet the criteria for Birth to Three or are over three years of age. Using a comprehensive database of current community based services and resources, CDI Care Coordinators are able to refer families to appropriate services. The Care Coordinators talk to families about options and help them maneuver through the maze of services and programs. Follow-up is done to ensure that families have been linked to services and to see if additional referrals are needed. The Care Coordinators can also mail general information on development or specific developmental issues. Families also have the option sign up to participate in a child developmental monitoring program using the Ages and Stages questionnaires. Help Me Grow is a program of the Children's Trust Fund. For more information about the Help Me Grow Program, visit the Help Me Grow website at www.infoline.org/programs/Helpmegrow.asp.

Preschool Special Education services are provided to eligible 3, 4 and 5 year old children with disabilities who are entitled to a free appropriate public education in accordance with their individual needs as mandated by special education law. In Connecticut, special education services are provided by local and regional school districts, as well as two state-supported agencies, the Board of Education Services for the Blind (BESB) and the American School for the Deaf (ASD). Special education and related services are provided based on what the individual child needs to benefit from his education. Care Coordinators can refer families to their local or regional school district's Preschool Special Education services. For more information on Preschool Special Education Services in Connecticut, visit the Department of Education website at http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/early/index.htm.

The Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Program coordinates services for children, from birth to twenty-one, who have or who are at risk for having chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and who also require more health or related services than other children the same age. CDI Care Coordinators refer families to their local Regional Medical Home Support Center (RMHSC) for care coordination, benefits coordination, family support and service needs assessment. The RMHSC also offer payment for certain types of services, such as adaptive and specialty equipment, specialty pharmacy, nutritional formulas, hearing aids, and medical and/or surgical supplies to families who meet their medical and income eligibility requirements. Respite planning services are also available to families whose children are enrolled in the CYSHCN Program. The five RMHSC that serve Connecticut’s children and families are: Child Development Infoline in the North Central region; Child Development Infoline in the Easter region; St. Mary’s Hospital in the Northwestern region; Stamford Hospital in the South Western region; and Yale New Haven Hospital in the South Central region.