Colorado participates in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA), through the implementation of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and their families.

Part C requires interagency and community collaboration in providing and paying for appropriate early intervention services. It is also necessary to facilitate the coordination of payment for early intervention services from federal, state, local, and private sources, including public and private insurance coverage.

State funds are appropriated by the Colorado General Assembly to provide early intervention services; however, the level of federal and state funding by itself does not fully meet the demand for early intervention services. Colorado utilizes a funding hierarchy and coordinated system of payments to ensure that all available funding sources for early intervention services are accessed. Twenty Community Centered Boards/local Early Intervention programs and Local Interagency Coordinating Councils are utilized to assure that federal, state, local and private resources are well-coordinated in local communities to assist families to meet the needs of their infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities.

Read the full text of the Early Intervention Colorado State Plan Under Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.