Public Awareness

Under Part C (34CFR§§ 303.320), the public awareness program is part of the comprehensive child find system. Public awareness is the ongoing effort that keeps the general public, families and all primary referral sources informed about early intervention services. Information includes the scope and purpose of the system, how to make a referral, how to gain access to a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation and other early intervention services and information about the central directory.

Under Part B (34CFR§§ 300.125) Child Find, states are required to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities in the state, birth to 21, including highly mobile children with disabilities (migrant or homeless children). When the Part C lead agency is different from the Part B lead agency, states must describe the "nature and participation" of the Part C lead agency in child find activities for children birth through age two.

To be effective, the public awareness program should provide continuous, ongoing activities throughout the state, involve the major organizations that have a direct interest in young children including public and private agencies at the state, regional and local levels, parent groups, advocates and other organizations, be broad enough to reach the general public including persons with disabilities and include a variety of methods for disseminating information. Examples of methods to inform the general public can include posters, pamphlets, displays, toll free-numbers, Web sites, TV, radio newspaper releases, advertisements etc.

Reaching Families and Caregivers

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with national partners, is hosting a public awareness campaign entitled Learn the Signs, Act Early. The campaign is meant to help parents and child care providers learn more about early childhood development, including potential early warning signs of autism and other developmental disabilities.

• ZERO TO THREE's child development page has materials on Developmental Milestones Birth to Three and Tips for Your Child's Developmental Assessment.
• NICHCY - National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities developed A Parents Guide: Accessing Programs for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers with Disabilities.
• Project Forum from the National Association for State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) developed a Quick Turn Around (QTA) on Part C Underserved Populations: State Outreach Efforts (PDF: 190kb) . This document describes innovative strategies from 5 states to located populations that are traditionally underserved in Part C.
See also state examples below.

Strategies for Reaching Physicians and the Medical Community

• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has developed a number of policy statements including Role of the Pediatrician in Family-Center Early Intervention Services
See also state examples below.

State Examples

• Arkansas Child Find includes a description of child find, program fact sheets for early intervention, early childhood and school age, information on how to find services, resource materials and helpful links for parents.
• Connecticut and Idaho were highlighted on a NECTAC sponsored a web-enhanced conference call, State and Community/Approaches to Early Identification. The purposes of the call were: 1) to identify and discuss strategies for improving outreach and early identification in multi-cultural, urban, rural and other populations that are sometimes difficult to reach; and 2) to identify and discuss strategies that state and communities use in improving earlier identification of infants with disabilities.
• Connecticut Birth to Three has a Web page called Especially for Families with materials on typical development, services and supports.
• Maryland's Infants and Toddlers Program has Growth and Developmental Milestones guides for parents of children birth to three available in multiple languages.
• Maryland's Preschool Special Education Services page contains information about preschool services (3-5) and hot links to the child find coordinators in each school system.
• New Jersey's Department of Education, Office of Special Education has developed a resource called NJ's About Project Child Find that gives information how to refer children (birth to five).
• The Commonwealth of Virginia's Early Intervention System for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families has developed a Web page for medical professionals called Physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals - Welcome!
• Washington's Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Program has developed A Family's Guide to Early I ntervention Services in Washington State and ITEIP Outreach and Marketing Kit.