Protect Early Steps, Florida's Part C Program

Early Steps is administered by Children's Medical Services (CMS) in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C.
Early Steps, which serves children from birth to 36 months who have a developmental delay, or a condition that places them at risk for developmental delays, provides Florida's infants and toddlers early-intervention services and supports intended to improve children's chances to develop to their full potential by achieving specific developmental milestones. These milestones are essential to the development of a child's ability to learn, speak, and move at critical periods that research shows lead to optimal abilities in later life.
In 2008-09, Florida provided these critical early-intervention services to 41,940 children.

For the 2010-11 fiscal year, a projected shortfall of about $4.5 million dollars could jeopardize the federal government's ability to provide a grant to Florida.  The shortfall would result in a loss of funding from the state to continue a meaningful program, and the state could lose this $54 million early- intervention program.

Research has proven that the biggest impact on a child's health and functioning is in the child's early years. Longitudinal studies have documented the savings to society in the long run by taking care of our youngest citizens now.
The Council encourages lawmakers to adequately fund the Part C Early Steps program to effectively serve all children with a developmental delay.
We will be contacting members of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee in the Senate and the Health Care Appropriations Committee in the House (Link to committees)and we will let them know that the state needs 4.5 million dollars to maintain Early Steps at the current level or risk losing our federal grant to provide services critical to the health and functioning of all children ages 0-36 months  who have a developmental delay.

 Intentional Communities

Senator Altman and Representative Stargel have filed identical bills, SB 1166 and HB 645, that would do the following:  eliminate the 1,000 foot rule for group homes within a planned residential community for individuals with developmental disabilities; allow the local government to consider certain criteria, such as land use, zoning and building codes, in determining approval of the community; prohibit local government from considering the proximity of the group homes in the community; and requires that rulemaking for the Agency for Persons with Disability not limit the number of group homes that can be located in the planned residential community.    The Senate bill was heard and passed in the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday, February 16^th.

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council invested a considerable amount of effort this past summer learning about this issue, including listening to families who want planned residential communities (also referred to as intentional communities), learning about intentional communities, visiting an intentional community in Florida, and gaining an understanding of the implication of state and federal requirements on intentional communities.    We recognize that the current living arrangements for adults with developmental disabilities who wish or need to live outside of their families' homes often do not adequately provide for safety, social connections, full belonging in the community, affordable housing, ability to move about their neighborhood freely, continuity, and life- long sustainability.  The Council adopted a position (Link to FDDC position) that included its acknowledgement that intentional communities, designed to meet the unique needs of individuals with developmental disabilities, can offer a framework for creating greater choice of living arrangements; for bringing together the community supports and services to address many of the current issues; for enhancing choice, control, and responsibility in all aspects of life; and for maintaining full inclusion in the community.

While acknowledging the potential benefits intentional communities can offer, the Council also strongly supports the values that have been inherent in the intent of the federal Home and Community Based Waiver funds.  The Council therefore believes that Waiver funds should be used for Intentional Communities when the following characteristics are present: 

·         Provides for housing options only - no workshops, day training, or common dining is provided on-site;

·         Ensures easy access to the broader community;

·         Encourages the broader community to come into the Intentional Community;

·         Ensures that individuals with developmental disabilities create their own daily schedules and activities;

·         Ensures that individuals with developmental disabilities choose their own supports and providers;

·         Offers housing that is affordable; 

·         Provides special safety features; and

·         Includes residents who are both individuals with disabilities (i.e., developmental disabilities and other disabilities) and individuals without disabilities in a sufficient mix so as not to create a segregated community.

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is working with other organizations to amend the House and Senate bills to require through rulemaking the presence of these characteristics when wavier funds are used in Planned (or intentional) communities.   The Council is concerned that community integration, independence, choice in daily living, and full access to community services as intended with Waiver funds will be jeopardized without such requirements.