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Hello, My name is Aileen McKenna, the family liaison for the Connecticut Birth to Three
System.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Birth to Three.
I understand this may be a stressful and difficult time for you and your family.
Right now you might be worried about whether your child will ever catch up
with other children his age.
I want to assure you
all babies are born wired and ready to learn.
By participating in an early intervention programs you are tapping
into the richest most fertile time of brain development in your child's life.
Research has shown us that more learning and development occurs in a child's
first three years
than in any other time in their lives.
It is the mission of the Birth to Three System to strengthen the
capacity of Connecticut's families
to meet the developmental
health-related needs of their infants and toddlers
who had delays or disabilities.
It is our goal to work closely with you to provide the kind of supports
that meet your family's priorities
and your child's needs.
Every child in Birth to Three is viewed as a unique individual.
That is why you and your Birth to Three team
will work together to tailor an individual family services plan
that reflects your child's distinct strength.
You are a very important part if your child's team.
The professionals working with your child will be including you or your
child care provider
in every session.
We know that very young children learn best when what they are learning is
incorporated into the daily routines of family life.
You and your team will work together to identify those routines
and embed interventions into them.
One of the most important members of your team is your service coordinator.
If you're not sure of who service coordinator is it is listed on your
IFSP.
She or he
is the person who will bring together all the different people,
information and resources
that your child and family may need to work with.
If you have a question about your birth to three services
your service coordinator is the person who should be able to answer most
anything.
If not
your service coordinator can connect you with the person who may be
able to answer the question.
Sometimes that person may be the program director of your specific Birth to Three
program.
Connecticut has forty-four local programs who offer Birth to Three
services.
Some of these programs serve all eligible children.
Some only children with autism
and others only children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
All of these programs have a name
and cover a specific region of the state.
For example,
you may live in Thompson, Connecticut.
If you are in a general Birth to Three program you will have a choice of three
local programs.
If your child is in an autism specific program
there is one local program.
And if your child is hearing impaired
you will choose one of the three state programs.
It is important for you to know your program name and telephone contact
information.
If for some reason your service coordinator can't answer your questions
or if you are unhappy with how things are on unfolding with your program
contacting your specific Birth to Three program director would be your next step.
Our website
Birth23.org
also has a list of all of our programs.
When you go to our website on the left hand side
you will see a heading called Birth to Three by town.
Clicking on this will bring you to an alphabetical list of towns.
Clicking on your town
will bring you to the programs that serve your town.
Once you click on your program, you will see in the upper right-hand corner
the names and contact number of the program director,
He or she will be able to assist you in answering questions or concerns you may
have with your program.
Sometimes in Birth to Three parents and families may reach a point
where there is a disagreement or misunderstanding they feel cannot be
resolved
by talking to their service coordinator or the program director.
When you've reached this point
please feel free to call me directly at
860-418-6136
or
you may call our toll free number.
The number is
866-888-4188.
My job as the Family Liaison
is to work with you and your Birth to Three provider
to help facilitate a solution to your particular issue.
Often
misunderstandings can be quickly resolved
but sometimes problems and disagreements can be more complicated.
While no one at Birth to Three ever likes to see families and providers in conflict,
we do want all of our families to understand what their rights are in
these situations.
You have the right to disagree with your IFSP team and the Birth to Three
system.
You have the right to contact me and discuss your situation.
I will make every attempt to help facilitate a solution to your concerns.
You have the right to file a written complaint.
Please check our website
or your family handbook guide 2 for specific directions and how to file a
complaint.
All written complaints will be investigated.
The director of Birth to Three will send you a written response within sixty
calendar days of receiving a complaint.
You have the right to resolve your differences through mediation.
Mediation allows you and your program to talk about the details of your
disagreement
with an impartial trained mediator.
If you would like to request mediation
please write to the director of Birth to Three.
You have the right to request a due process hearing.
This is a more formal process conducted before an impartial hearing officer.
Again,
for more information on how to request a hearing
please check our website or guide 2 of your family handbook.
Finally,
you have the right to continue receiving services during this time of
disagreement
until your child turns three.
We hope your time in Birth to Three is a positive and productive experience for
you, your child and your family.
We are confident that we have some of the most talented, experienced and
dedicated providers in the country.
We know they will work tirelessly with you to help you achieve your goals. Thank you.