The joint subcommittee found that early intervention services are of vital importance because they can prevent or mitigate problems for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. Also, it endorsed the Commonwealth's continued participation in the "Virginia Babies Can't Wait!" early intervention federal grant program under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services (DMHMRSAS) is the lead agency for the development and implementation of this program, which is required to be a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated and interagency system. Virginia moved into statewide implementation of the program on September 30, 1993.

Since 1990, the joint subcommittee has made a number of recommendations that have facilitated the implementation and effectiveness of the Commonwealth's early intervention services program. The joint subcommittee:

• recommended a definition of eligibility that is as inclusive as possible and included children at risk of developmental delay when economically feasible;

• endorsed cultural diversity in all aspects of the early intervention program and recommended strategies to alleviate early intervention personnel shortages;

• established a program infrastructure in the Code of Virginia, § 2.1-760 et seq.;

• worked to ensure that infants and toddlers with disabilities eligible under the early intervention program receive medically necessary services through Medicaid Managed Care Organizations; and

• recommended and witnessed the passage of legislation that mandated coverage of early intervention services under the State Employees Health Care Plan and by private insurers and health maintenance organizations.

Despite the many accomplishments of the Virginia Babies Can't Wait! early intervention program, the joint subcommittee identified various actions that need to be taken to improve the early intervention system. The joint subcommittee recommended that:

• the state agencies involved in the early intervention system obtain a data system that will collect, analyze, and report on Part C services, consumers, and funding on a consistent and comparable basis across agencies and localities statewide;

• the methodology and projections for Part C-eligible children under the current eligibility definition, which does not include children at risk of developmental delay, be updated;

• equitable and reasonable fees for early intervention services and consistent mechanisms to determine ability to pay be developed and implemented;

• the lead agency complete the development of standardized forms, data collection, and assessment instruments and strengthen the role of Part C coordinators;

• the coordination of interagency participation in the early intervention program be strengthened;

• the lead agency and the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council (VICC) should continue their efforts to expand cultural diversity in early intervention services; and

• should the Governor transfer the lead agency responsibilities from the DMHMRSAS to another state agency, such a change must not disrupt local service planning, delivery, and funding and must involve extensive planning and public input.