Maryland State Department of Education
Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services

Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BULLETIN   Number 31    (Revised)

Since 1990-91, approval of the Consolidated Local Implementation Grant (CLIG) application has required the development of interagency agreements and local policies and procedures that are consistent with the requirements of Part C of IDEA and COMAR 13A.13.01.  The CLIG (including local interagency agreements) and local policies and procedures comprise the Local Interagency Plan for Early Intervention Services.  The Plan is intended to reflect how local agencies collaborate to provide early intervention services to all eligible infants and toddlers and families within the jurisdiction. 

The local lead agency is responsible for administering the local interagency system of early intervention services.  However, all local public agencies are responsible for participating in the development and implementation of the CLIG, including the budget, as well as local policies and procedures.

Experience with new grant procedures that accompanied the designation of the Maryland State Department of Education as the State Lead Agency for Part C, as well as the reauthorization of IDEA, afford the opportunity to reexamine the components of the Local Interagency Plan for Early Intervention Services, specify required documentation for each, and clarify how the Plan is linked to statewide program evaluation and monitoring for quality.

Components of the Local Interagency Plan for Early Intervention Services 

A.        The Consolidated Local Implementation Grant

The Consolidated Local Implementation Grant (CLIG) application has three sections that must be submitted to MITP no later than June 1.  General guidelines for accurately completing each section follow.

1.  SECTION 1               AUTHORIZATION

a.   Local System Contact List
                 Information provided should be current and accurate.

b.    Certifications and Workplace Requirements Form}
The authorized local lead agency representative must sign the form.

                        c.   LICC Application Review Statement

The Local Interagency Coordinating Council should have an opportunity to review the CLIG application, including the budget, prior to submission to MITP, and the LICC Chairperson must sign the statement.

2.            SECTION 2               ANNUAL PLAN REQUIREMENTS

                        a.   Designation of Local Lead Agency

Designation of the local lead agency must be in effect for the grant period and a copy of the designation included with the CLIG application.  The appointment by the local governing authority may be for multiple years, but a new document must be provided if a different lead agency is designated or if the designation period has expired.

                        b.   Local Interagency Agreements

Formal interagency agreements between the local lead agency and service providers participating in the local early intervention system are required and must address each of the components specified in the CLIG application.  Although other participating service providers may be included, agreements between the local school system, health department, and department of social services are required, at a minimum, and must be signed by the local Superintendent of Schools, local Health Officer, and local Director of Social Services.

All interagency agreements between the local lead agency and other public and private providers should be reviewed annually and updated, as necessary.  If lists of services provided by each agency are included, they also should be reviewed and revised to reflect current practice.

Local interagency agreements may be in effect for multiple years, but must be approved through June 30 of the current grant period.  A copy of each interagency agreement must be submitted with the CLIG application.         

c.       Local Interagency Coordinating Council (LICC)
                   Meeting Dates

Each LICC is required to meet at least quarterly.  Dates and locations of meetings must be included.  LICC meetings must be open to the public.  Since the LICC must review the CLIG application before it is submitted to MITP, it is advisable to schedule a meeting during May.

                        d.   Local Interagency Coordinating Council (LICC)
                              Membership

The role of the LICC is to advise and assist the local lead agency in the effective implementation of the local system of early intervention services.  To fulfill its responsibilities, the LICC should be comprised of individuals who represent the scope of the system.  Therefore, LICC membership must include at least three parents of children with special needs; representatives from the local education agency, local health department, and local department of social services; public and private early intervention service providers; a person involved in personnel preparation for the field of early intervention; an elected official; a Head Start representative; and a child care representative.  Other interested persons may also be invited to participate as LICC members.  When selecting individuals to serve on the LICC, consideration should be given to representation that reflects the demographic and geographic diversity of the jurisdiction. 

                        e.   Public Awareness Plan

The Public Awareness Plan should document ongoing efforts to inform the public about the local Infants and Toddlers Program and the child find system, including the single point of entry and referral timelines, to ensure that all eligible infants and toddlers in the jurisdiction are identified, located, and evaluated.  The Plan must address each of the components listed in the CLIG application and be in effect for the grant period.  A general outline of anticipated events may be provided in the Plan, but the final program report must include a detailed account of actual activities conducted, including the type, purpose, and date of each event, as well as the target audience.  A distribution list with the number and type of publications disseminated should be included.

Public Awareness Plans should be updated annually.  When determining how to address required components, it is useful to review the jurisdiction’s self-assessment and results of other Monitoring for Quality activities to identify areas for which targeted outreach activities, rather than maintenance efforts, are needed.

Two data categories that can provide important information are referral sources and sources of referral recommendations.  Other areas to consider are whether or not the age at referral is appropriate for the basis of referral or category of eligibility and whether or not referrals are consistent with the demographics of the jurisdiction.

f.       Comprehensive System of Personnel Development
                  (CSPD) Plan

The Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) plan should document ongoing efforts to provide training for families and a variety of personnel, including public and private providers, primary referral sources, paraprofessionals and service coordinators, who are involved with the early intervention system.

The CSPD Plan must address each of the components listed in the CLIG application and be in effect for the grant period.  The CSPD Plan should reflect the results of the local training needs assessment, which must include representatives from each of the categories listed above.  A description of the training needs assessment and general outline of anticipated activities, participants, and evaluation procedures may be provided in the Plan, but the final program report must include results of the training needs assessment and a detailed account of activities.  For each training event, the title, date, name(s) of presenter(s), number of participants by category, and evaluation summary must be provided. 

When analyzing results of the training needs assessment and developing the CSPD Plan, priority should be given to activities that:

• Are consistent with areas in need of improvement identified through self-assessment and other Monitoring for Quality activities;

•Assist early intervention personnel to meet the Suitable Qualifications requirement;

• Address best practices related to national and State issues; and

• Enhance the capacity of families and professionals to meet the interrelated social-emotional, health, developmental, and educational needs of young children with disabilities.

Requests for discipline-specific training can often be addressed through professional development activities offered through national, State, and regional associations.

To address the training needs of all individuals involved with the early intervention system, consider sharing training opportunities and expenses with participating local public agencies, other community programs (e.g., Head Start), institutions of higher education, the Family Support Network, and neighboring jurisdictions.

                        g.  Local Reporting Requirements

Program, financial, data, and LICC reports must be submitted to MITP at the times and in the manner specified in the CLIG application.  Submission of the following reports is required as a condition of the CLIG award:

Semi-annual Program Report

The Semi-annual Program Report serves as a mid-grant cycle review of the local jurisdiction’s efforts to improve aspects of the local early intervention system that have been identified as in need of improvement through self-assessment and other Monitoring for Quality activities.  Requests for technical assistance to support improvement efforts may be included. 

A Semi-annual Report Form is provided, but a jurisdiction may use an alternative format that is developed locally. 

The report must be submitted to MITP no later than January 31.

Final Program Report

The Final Program Report serves as a review of the local jurisdiction's efforts to implement various aspects of the Local Interagency Plan for Early Intervention Services for the grant period.

A summary of Public Awareness Plan and CSPD Plan activities for the grant period must be included.  If general outlines of the Plans were submitted with the CLIG application, the final report must provide specific details, which are delineated in E. and F. of this Section.  A summary of Family Support Network activities that were implemented during the grant period must also be included.  In addition, jurisdictions with Preschool Partners must include a description of efforts to support families and children transition from early intervention to preschool and from preschool to school-age programs.

         Jurisdictions must also include a summary of activities
         conducted during the grant period to address areas in 
         need of improvement identified through self-
         assessment and other Monitoring for Quality activities. 

The Final Program Report must be submitted to MITP no later than July 30.

Data Reports

In addition to sending diskettes to MITP for extraction of data from the local tracking/data collection system on a quarterly basis, local jurisdictions must provide an annual interagency count of early intervention personnel employed in full-time equivalents.  The personnel report is due June 1.

Forms and instructions for completing data reports are distributed to local lead agencies prior to each required submission date.

Financial Reports

Explicit instructions for submitting financial reports required during and after the grant period are provided in Appendix K - Infants and Toddlers Program Reporting Requirements of the MSDE Financial Reporting Manual.

Local Interagency Coordinating Council (LICC) 
            Annual Report

An Annual Report of the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education and the Governor.  To prepare a comprehensive report that reflects statewide efforts, the SICC requests that each Local Interagency Coordinating Council submit an annual summary of its activities during the grant period. 

Although a specific format is not required, the report should:

• Identify how the LICC advised and assisted the local lead agency to develop and implement the local early intervention system during the grant period;

• Highlight successful LICC efforts that may be helpful to other LICCs; and

• Identify issues that should be considered by the SICC.  

The LICC Chairperson is requested to submit the annual report to MITP no later than August 30. 

3.            SECTION 3  BUDGET

a.   Assurance Statements

The Assurance Statements for the Consolidated Implementation Grant form requires the signatures of the local Superintendent of Schools, local Health Officer, the Local Director of the Department of Social Services, and the Local Infants and Toddlers Program Director.  Signatures indicate that the designated individuals have reviewed and approved the CLIG application, including the budgetary and staff commitment of each agency participating in the local early intervention system.

b.       Budget Forms

Budget forms should be completed and reviewed carefully by all agencies participating in the local early intervention system prior to submitting the CLIG application.

General instructions for completing budget forms for the CLIG application are provided in Appendix K - Infants and Toddlers Program Reporting Requirements of the MSDE Financial Reporting Manual.  Additional guidelines for completing specific budget forms follow. 

 Forms 100A and 100B

Fringe benefits should be recorded in the Other Charges line on Form 100A.

The Other Sources column is provided for documenting the contributions of funding sources other than those available through the CLIG to support the local early intervention system.  Examples of other sources are State funds, funds from local government, private foundations, civic organizations, and other grants, including Part B special education allocations to the local school system through the Local Application for Federal Funds.

Funding from other sources may be applicable to any of the five object categories.  For instance:

If staff from the local Department of Social Services attend LICC meetings or professional development activities, a percentage of their salary should be included in the Salaries and Wages line of the Other Sources column of Forms 100A and 100B for the Department of Social Services; or

If a civic organization donates money to the Health Department to purchase audio logical equipment, the amount should be recorded in the equipment line of the Other Sources column on Form 100A for the Health Department.

Completing the Other Sources column as comprehensively as possible provides a more accurate representation of funding support for the local early intervention system.

Form 100C

A separate page for each object category should be used when completing Form 100C.  Anticipated expenditures for professional development activities should be included in Object 04 - Other Charges.

 Form 100D

A separate Form 100D must be completed by each agency receiving Part C funds.

Form 300

Form 300 must be submitted to request a budget amendment or a grant extension.

Forms 400 and 400A

Forms 400 and 400A are used as year-end finance
         reports.

Form 500

Form 500 is used to provide information to a variety of audiences about sources and amounts of funds expended for early intervention services in the State. 

Detailed instructions for completion are provided on the back of the form.  The local lead agency is responsible for duplicating MITP Form 500, disseminating and collecting a completed form from all agencies that are signatories to the interagency agreement, compiling the information from the agencies, and submitting one consolidated report to MITP by September 30.

B.  Local Policies and Procedures

Local policies and procedures, in conjunction with supporting materials, comprise the second component of the Local Interagency Plan for Early Intervention Services.  To receive a Consolidated Local Implementation Grant award, each jurisdiction must have written local policies and procedures that meet the requirements of Part C of IDEA and COMAR 13A.13.01 and have been approved by MITP.

Approved policies and procedures, including supporting materials (e.g., local forms, guidelines, handbooks, and manuals) will be maintained on file.  Although policies and procedures and supporting materials will not need to be submitted each year, they should be reviewed annually and revised as necessary, with revisions forwarded to MITP.

Instructions regarding policies and procedures for specific program and service components of the early intervention system follow.

1.   Public Awareness Program     (COMAR 13A.13.01.04)
               Comprehensive Child Find System  (COMAR 13A.13.01.05)

Regulatory requirements for these components are addressed through the annual Public Awareness Plan submitted as part of the CLIG application and final program reports.  No additional policies or procedures are required. 

2.   Evaluation and Assessment       (COMAR 13A.13.01.06)

The local lead agency must develop policies that address each section (A - G) of COMAR 13A.13.01.06.  Procedures, which specify how the local early intervention system implements the policies, must be included in the written description of the local process for Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) decision-making.

3.  Individualized Family Service Plan   (COMAR 13A.13.01.08)

The local lead agency must coordinate the development of a written interagency policy that addresses COMAR 13A.13.01.08 (A).  This policy may be included with other required policies, or as part of the interagency agreements.

The requirements of COMAR 13A.13.01.08 (B), (C), and (D) must be addressed as part of a written description of the local process for IFSP decision-making.  The description should explain how the local Infants and Toddlers Program implements all aspects of the IFSP process, beginning with referral and concluding with transition at age three.  Procedures should specify how procedural safeguards are provided to parents, and how the family's resources, concerns, and priorities, as well as natural routines and environments are addressed throughout.

The Maryland Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Process may be used as the basis for the written description, but the process must delineate approaches and activities that are specific to the jurisdiction.

4.       Comprehensive System of Personnel Development

(COMAR 13A.13.01.09)

Regulatory requirements for this component are addressed through the annual CSPD Plan submitted as part of the CLIG application and final program reports.  No additional policies or procedures are required.

5.       Personnel Standards     (COMAR 13A.13.01.10)

The local lead agency must develop and implement a written policy that "requires personnel providing early intervention services for eligible children and their families to meet appropriate professional requirements established by the Department of Education/Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program, and is consistent with 34 CFR §303.361."

The preceding statement is all that is required as a policy.  The Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program's resource document, Personnel Standards for Early Intervention Service Providers, should be used as a reference for implementing the policy.

6.       Procedural Safeguards     (COMAR 13A.13.01.11)

An explanation of how the local Infants and Toddlers Program implements the procedural safeguards addressed in COMAR 13A.13.01.11 (A) must be included in the written description of the local IFSP decision-making process.

The local lead agency must establish and implement procedures regarding confidentiality of personally identifiable information that address the requirements of COMAR 13A.13.01.11 (C).

7.        Data Collection     (COMAR 13A.13.01.12 K)

The local lead agency must develop procedures for collecting and compiling data from all appropriate service providers for preparation of reports required by the Maryland State Department of Education/Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program.  

Linkage to Monitoring for Quality and Continuous Improvement

Information included in Local Interagency Plans for Early Intervention Services provides an extensive view of Maryland's statewide early intervention system, as well as a broad perspective of each local early intervention system.  As the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program implements the Monitoring for Quality process, the programmatic, financial, and personnel data available through the Local Interagency Plans for Early Intervention Services will serve as a primary basis for data collection, validation, and planning for the Statewide Improvement Plan to improve outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.