(a) The General Assembly finds that early intervention services are cost-effective and effectively serve the developmental needs of eligible infants and toddlers and their families. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive, coordinated, interagency, interdisciplinary early intervention services system for eligible infants and toddlers and their families that enhances the capacity to provide quality early intervention services, expand and improve existing services, and facilitate the coordination of payments for early intervention services from various public and private sources. (b) The specific purposes of this chapter are to do all of the following: (1) Enhance the development of all eligible infants and toddlers in the State in order to minimize developmental delay and enhance individual potential for adult independence. (2) Reduce educational costs by minimizing the need for special education and related services after infants and toddlers reach school age by identifying children eligible for early intervention services at a younger age. (3) Enhance opportunities for inclusion in the community of eligible children and their families. (4) Enhance the capacity of families to meet the individual needs of infants and toddlers with disabilities. (5) Enact regulations and fully implement the infants and toddlers program established under the IDEA, including all of the following: a. Affirm the importance of the family in all areas of the child's development and reinforce the role of the family as a participant in the decision-making processes regarding their child. b. Identify and coordinate all available resources for early intervention within the State including those from federal, state, local, and private sources. c. Affirm that eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities have a right to receive early intervention services to the maximum extent appropriate, in natural environments in which infants and toddlers without disabilities would participate.
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