Bill > S0231

This bill establishes a comprehensive task force managed by the children's cabinet to develop recommendations for improving access to early intervention and early childhood special education services for children with developmental delays and disabilities from birth to kindergarten entry. The task force will be co-chaired by leaders from education, health and human services, and child advocacy organizations, and will include diverse members such as parents, medical professionals, and education administrators. The group will spend 18 months investigating current challenges in providing early intervention services, such as staffing shortages, uneven district performance, and barriers to accessing care, particularly for children of color. The task force is required to produce an interim report after 12 months and a final report after 18 months, which will include recommendations on updating laws, improving funding strategies, expanding workforce diversity, creating public awareness campaigns, establishing family resource centers, and ensuring more comprehensive developmental screenings and service delivery. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services is directed to secure $250,000 in federal funding to support the task force's work, with the ultimate goal of improving educational outcomes and long-term potential for children with developmental challenges by providing more timely, inclusive, and high-quality early intervention services.

Education

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