Every Child Achieves is currently vendored with six regional centers throughout Southern California to provide early intervention services inclusive of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy and Child Development Services funded through the State of California as part of the Early Start Program. Our early intervention team delivers a wide variety of specialized services that work together to achieve the child’s developmental and family goals identified in the assessment process. Children are generally referred to Every Child Achieves by the service coordinators at the regional center. Families are able to request Every Child Achieves as the provider of services when going through the intake process with the regional center’s service coordinator. Families that are interested in exploring services funded through the State of California’s Early Start Program should contact their local regional center to schedule an evaluation and confirm eligibility. To locate your local regional center office, go to http://www.dds.ca.gov/RC/RCList.cfm.
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What is the Regional Center?
Regional Centers are private non-profit organizations that are set up throughout the state of California and divided up by regions. The Regional Centers are responsible for providing services and support to those with developmental disabilities and their families all over the state of California and ultimately upholds the laws set forth by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS).
Regional Centers are responsible for providing diagnosis and assessment of eligibility and they help plan, access, coordinate and monitor the services and supports that are needed because of a developmental disability.
After eligibility is determined then a Service Coordinator is typically assigned to help develop a plan for services, explain where services are available, and help you obtain the approved services for your child.
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What is the Early Start Program?
The Early Start Program is California’s response to federal legislation ensuring that early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families are provided in a coordinated, family-centered system of services that are available statewide.
Infants and toddlers from birth to 36 months may be eligible for early intervention services if through documented evaluation and assessment they meet one of the criteria listed below:
- have a developmental delay in either cognitive, communication, social or emotional, adaptive, or physical and motor development including vision and hearing and are under 24 months of age at the time of referral, with a 33% delay in one or more areas of development or are 24 months of age or older at the time of referral, with a 50% delay in one area of development or a 33% delay in two or more areas of development; or
- have an established risk condition of known etiology, with a high probability of resulting in delayed development.
California Government Code: Section 95014(a)
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ECA is currently vendored and provides services for the following Regional Centers:
- North Los Angeles Regional Center (San Fernando Valley Office, Santa Clarita Valley Office and Antelope Valley Office) – Website: www.nlacrc.org
- Lanterman Regional Center – Website: www.lanterman.org
- Westside Regional Center – Website: www.westsiderc.org
- San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center – Website: www.sgprc.org
- Tri-Counties Regional Center – Website: www.tri-counties.org
- East Los Angeles Regional Center – Website: www.elarc.org
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How do I find out if I am eligible for services?
To locate the appropriate regional center for your catchment area, please visit the State of California Department of Developmental Services website at: http://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/rclookup.cfm.
If you are not familiar with regional center and/or have not been assigned a service coordinator, you must first contact your local regional center and complete the initial intake process to determine eligibility.
To determine your child’s eligibility, your regional center will complete an evaluation to assess your child’s developmental level. Additionally, a review of your child’s medical history/records is required. This application contains the necessary forms required for your regional center to initiate the evaluation process. It is important to note that Early Start eligibility determination may take up to 45 days.
Please note that due to state budget cuts, once an evaluation has been completed and eligibility has been determined, the regional center may have you refer to your respective health insurance company prior to receiving ongoing services funded through the regional center. Then once the insurance benefits have been exhausted through your insurance company, services may be funded through your local regional center if your child still qualifies.
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What if my child is not eligible for services?
If your child is not eligible for Early Start, your child may be considered for California’s Prevention Program, which provides developmental monitoring to children birth through 35 months of age with high risk conditions, and certain developmental delays (children between 24 and 35 months of age with a 33-49% delay in one developmental domain) that do not otherwise qualify them for Early Start. Click here to learn more about the prevention program.
