Comprehensive child find system and public awareness program

§ 2542. Comprehensive child find system and public awareness program. 1. The commissioner shall develop a comprehensive child find system that ensures that eligible children in the state are identified, located, referred to the early intervention official and evaluated. Such system shall:

(a) require early intervention officials to identify and locate eligible children within their municipality;

(b) be coordinated with efforts to identify, locate and track children conducted by other agencies responsible for services to infants and toddlers and their families, including the efforts in (i) part B of the federal individuals with disabilities education act, including early childhood direction centers, (ii) the maternal and child health program under title V of the federal social security act, including the infant health assessment program, (iii) medicaid's early periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment program under title XIX of the federal social security act, and (iv) the federal supplemental security income program; and

(c) provide for the identification, tracking and screening of children at risk of developmental delay, using resources available through the programs, identified in paragraph (b) of this subdivision and such other available resources as the commissioner shall commit to this purpose.

2. The commissioner shall develop, implement, and maintain a public awareness program to inform the general public and the professional community of the availability of the early intervention program and the benefits of services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The program shall include materials which describe the normal developmental achievements of young children, identification and procedures for referral of children with disabilities, and how to gain access to early intervention services.

3. The following persons and entities, within two working days of identifying an infant or toddler suspected of having a disability or at risk of having a disability, shall refer such infant or toddler to the early intervention official or the health officer of the public health district in which the infant or toddler resides, as designated by the municipality, but in no event over the objection of the parent made in accordance with procedures established by the department for use by such primary referral sources, unless the child has already been referred: hospitals, child health care providers, day care programs, local school districts, public health facilities, early childhood direction centers and such other social service and health care agencies and providers as the commissioner shall specify in regulation; provided, however, that the department shall establish procedures, including regulations if required, to ensure that primary referral sources adequately inform the parent or guardian about the early intervention program, including through brochures and written materials created or approved by the department.

4. The commissioner shall provide each early intervention official with a list of all approved evaluators and service coordinators in the municipality or geographic area proximate to such municipality or, with respect to the city of New York, subdivisions of the city as prescribed by the commissioner.

Such list of approved evaluators shall be updated at least annually and shall describe the specific areas of expertise of each qualified evaluator, if known.