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tiny-k Foundation's Newsletter - OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Talking points for tiny-k day at the capitol 2010:
The program:
· The part C program of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is known in Kansas as the tiny-k program. The program is directed by KDHE, with the advice of a council representing the Departments of Education, SRS, Health and Environment, the Board of Regents, the Insurance Commissioner, and two legislative members. The remaining members of the council – known as the Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Development (or more commonly, the ICC) are gubernatorial appointees representing parents, professionals and the general public.
· The tiny-k program enriches the lives of the infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, enables a child to receive intervention services which can mitigate the effects of the identified special need and thereby reduces (or sometimes makes unnecessary) costs for such children in later special education settings.
· Tiny-k community networks are directed in each community by a lead agency, chosen locally, which then organizes resources from multiple state and local sources to provide needed services and supports to infants and toddlers and the families who are identified as being at risk of a disabling condition.
The children and their families:
· Infants and toddlers are identified with medical conditions or with symptomatic evidence that presents itself, as early as the time of their birth, through a statewide effort called Child-Find in which tiny-k programs collaborate with the medical community and multiple social service entities to reach out to families to let them know the benefits to their child’s life through early identification and interventions.
· Disability-related issues that the tiny-k network address, are all-encompassing – from sensory issues (vision, hearing, etc), to physical and developmental disabilities, to challenges that some children face in social and emotional adjustment.
· The goal is to enable every family to maximize their child’s abilities, and to enable them to become “the center” of the process by which available services are identified and utilized. The assistance for families also provides a major benefit by reducing the stresses and emotional challenges which often enter a family’s life when facing the special circumstances of a child with physical, developmental, or emotional disabilities.
The law:
· Kansas was an early pioneering state in recognizing the benefits that were needed for the children we serve; and in recognizing the savings to the State and to School Districts, through early intervention services.
· The Federal law, in recognition of that fact, requires that in all states that have chosen to participate, all children who are eligible are to be provided early childhood services. There are to be no waiting lists! Unfortunately, State funding has never kept pace with the increases in eligible children served by the tiny-k program.
The request:
· We have long believed that a more equitable funding plan for the tiny-k program would be to equate the funding for the children we serve from 0 {through} 2 to the funding levels allocated for children 3 {through} 5.
· That dollar amount is set annually by the legislature for all education programs, for children beginning at age 3, and should be set at a similar amount for the infants and toddlers we serve. The needs of the children do not magically become more expensive at age 3; in fact, over time, all research has shown that the needs of children will often go down, when early invention is provided.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is tiny-K duplicative of other programs serving early children?
No. None of the other early learning programs provides the same comprehensive services that are required of tiny-K. We rely upon other early learning programs for referrals, natural environments in which to provide services, and much more.
What about maintenance of effort?
Federal law requires each state to assure that the resources devoted to Part C are at least as much as the previous year. The allotments made by Governor Parkinson in November 2009 included a cut to tiny-k. This reduction was absorbed at the state agency level. BUT if we do not find new, in-kind resources to offset the amount of this cut, we may be ineligible for future federal grants. This would have drastic ramifications for the program.
Are we family friendly?
The parent (s) are an integral part of every team that on an individualized basis determines eligibility, sets the goals, determines what interventions will be provided, where, and by whom. One of our goals is to provide the support and mentoring to families so that they can become the child’s best advocate in the process.
Have local tiny-k networks suffered during this economic crisis? What about ARRA?
Absolutely yes. By design, these 37 local networks rely upon funding from a variety of sources. Many have taken cuts from a multitude of funders. The amount of their grant from KDHE was constant this year compared to last. They even received some ARRA funding. BUT for most networks, the amount of increase from ARRA funds was less than the severe cut from special education funding during the same time frame.