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The Early Childhood Development Project for the Mississippi River Delta Region (the Delta Project) will continue to present information to individuals on the importance of early identification of children with disabilities and to demonstrate strategies for providing needed services to children with disabilities and their families in the impoverished Delta regions of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This project will build local capacity of providers, agencies, and individuals to meet the long-term needs of children and families in the Delta region.

The Delta Project will pursue child find activities with local providers, agencies, community leaders, and families to identify children in need of services and to enhance their understanding of child development and the importance of the early identification of children with disabilities; provide therapy and special instruction services to meet the immediate service needs of children with disabilities; and provide training opportunities for parents and providers to enhance their ability to care for children with disabilities and those at risk for disabilities. Additionally, the Delta Project will collaborate with early intervention systems at the state, regional, and local levels, with school systems, with health and therapy providers, with child care and Head Start providers, with social service providers, and with community leaders to increase access to quality services in the Delta region. Through these collaborative activities, the Delta Project will work to ensure that providers and community leaders address identified service needs to enhance the developmental and educational outcomes of children living in the Delta.

The Delta Project will accomplish the following: 1) assist with and expand identification of children with disabilities; 2) improve the quality and availability of early intervention and child development services; 3) increase parent/guardian and family information and skills; 4) increase capacity of local personnel/providers to better serve children with disabilities; and 5) assist community decision-makers to solve problems.