The Center for IDEA
Early Childhood Data Systems
More than Referral:
Linkages between
Early Intervention and
Child Welfare Data and
Improved Child Outcomes
Taletha Derrington
DaSy Center @ SRI International
Improving Data, Improving Outcomes
Washington, DC ~ September 16, 2013
Session Context
• Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 (reauthorized
the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, CAPTA)
• ‘‘(xxi) provisions and procedures for referral of a child under the age
of 3 who is involved in a substantiated case of child abuse or neglect
to early intervention services funded under part C of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
2004 (IDEA)
• “(6) a description of the State policies and procedures that require the
referral for early intervention services under this part of a child under
the age of 3 who—``(A) is involved in a substantiated case of child
abuse or neglect…”
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Session Context
“CAPTA Referrals”
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Session Overview
• CAPTA referral implementation issues and
implications for data
• State presentations: 10 minutes each + 5 minutes for
state-specific questions
• Oregon – Bruce Sheppard (EI/ECSE Specialist)
• Colorado – Ardith Ferguson (Part C Coordinator) & Christy
Scott (Part C Data Manager)
• Alaska – Kenneth Smith (Part C Analyst Programmer IV)
• Full group discussion: 15 minutes
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Implementation Issues & Data Implications:
Financial resources and policies
• Federally mandated referrals, no additional federal
funding
• Average referral increase estimate: 44% (range 2-143%)
• Average enrollment increase estimate: 22% (range 2-87%)
• State/local reimbursement & productivity policies
• Incentivize or disincentivize serving child-welfare-involved
children & families and collecting quality data
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Sources: Derrington & Lippitt, 2008; Derrington, 2012.
Implementation Issues & Data Implications:
Cross-system buy-in
• Need for EI among
this population
• Understanding the
other service
system & data
system
• Local variation/
inconsistency of
implementation
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Implementation Issues & Data Implications:
Collaboration & System Capacity
• Different
organizational
cultures & priorities
• Confidentiality &
data sharing
• Expertise & supports
• Availability of data
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Implementation Issues & Data Implications:
Focus and scope of state policy
• Going beyond the
federal minimum:
referral for children < 3 with
substantiated maltreatment
• Who should be referred?
• What data need to be
collected? Linked?
• What privacy laws apply?
• What happens after
referral?
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State Presentations
• Oregon’s ecWeb EI/ECSE Data
System: Capturing CAPTA, Early
Intervention and Child Outcomes
Data in One Program
• (Colorado) Spotlight on Data: The
Role of State Leadership in Using
CAPTA Data to Improve Quality
• Alaska Part C: Linking Outcomes
and CAPTA
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Taletha Derrington,
taletha.derrington@sri.com,
650.859.6932
References
Derrington, TM and Terreault, S (2007). Rhode Island’s Experience with Federally Mandated Referrals from
Child Welfare to Part C Early Intervention. 22nd National Training Institute, ZERO TO THREE: National Center
for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, Orlando, FL.
Derrington, TM & Lippitt, JA (2008). State-level impact of mandated referrals from child welfare to Part C Early
Intervention. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 28(2), 90-98.
Derrington T (2012). Drug-Exposed Young Children and Early Intervention: What influences service
engagement? Ann Arbor, MI: UMI/ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
Gomm, A (April 2007). CAPTA Implementation in New Mexico. Presentation at the Georgetown National
Technical Assistance Call.
Herman, B (2007). CAPTA and Early Childhood Intervention: Policy and the role of parents. Children & Schools,
29(1), 17-24.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et. seq., Pub. L. No. 108-446.
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, 42 U.S.C. § 1 et. seq., Pub. L. No. 108-36
Kinavey, E (August 2008, personal communication).
Roper, K (January 2007). Massachusetts Early Childhood Linkage Initiative: Taking CAPTA pilot to scale.
Presentation at the Early Childhood Partners Meeting.
Lamar, RR (2008). Alaska’s Early Intervention/Infant Learning Program: The impact of CAPTA FY06-FY08.
Anchorage, AK: University of Alaska at Anchorage Center for Human Development.
Lamar, RR (2008). Alaska’s Early Intervention/Infant Learning Program: EI/ILP extended eligibility pilot
examination of child outcomes. Anchorage, AK: University of Alaska at Anchorage Center for Human
Development.
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