Early Childhood (Birth - age 5)

What services and supports are available for families in early childhood?

There are different services and supports available for families when their children are ages birth to five.

Early ACCESS is Iowa’s system for providing early intervention services. It is available to infants and toddlers from birth to age three years who have a health of physical condition that may affect his or her growth and development and/or have developmental delays in their ability to play, think, talk, or move.

Head Start programs promote the school readiness of children ages 3 to 5 years. Most of these programs are based in centers. In other programs, children and families may receive services from educators and family service staff who regularly make home visits.

Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children is to provide an opportunity for all young children in the State of Iowa to enter school ready to learn by expanding voluntary access to quality preschool curricula for all four-year-old children.

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services for preschool children and their families are provided by Area Education Agencies (AEAs) and local school districts.

Zero to Three

Zero to Three is an organization passionate about supporting children and their families in the critical first three years of life. You’ll find resources, practical tools, and policies for parents, professionals, and policy makers.

Learn more from Zero to Three

CDC's Developmental Milestones

Center for Disease Control (CDC)’s resources for families including milestones for development, a tracker App for milestones, screening tools, and helpful videos.

Learn more from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Early Intervention in Iowa

Learn about Early ACCESS, Iowa’s early intervention system, for infants and toddlers with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities.

Learn more from the Iowa Family Support Network

ASK an Expert: Exploring Early ACCESS, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) and Head Start

Explore the differences and overlaps between Early ACCESS, Early Childhood Special Education, and Head Start, learn about the process of being identified for services, and be instructed on how to get connected to Early ACCESS.

Watch the ASK an Expert Webinar

Early ACCESS

Provides links to make a referral or request services through the Early ACCESS system.

Learn more from the Iowa Family Support Network

Early ACCESS Overview

Includes information on the evaluation process for Early ACCESS and the different areas of development that can be assessed.

Learn more from Early ACCESS

Family Role in Early ACCESS Visits

While the Early ACCESS service providers are experts in child development, you are the expert on your child.

Learn more from the Iowa Family Support Network

A Family Guide to Early ACCESS

This brief video gives you a look at what an Early ACCESS home visit will look like and how they can support families.

Learn more from Early ACCESS

Early Head Start: Birth - 3

As the nation’s leading federally funded early learning program, Head Start serves children and families in every state and congressional district in the country with a consistently high level of quality. The purpose of Early Head Start programming is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women including follow-up, enhance the development of very young children (infants and toddlers), and promote healthy family functioning.

Learn more from the IDOE

Head Start: Ages 3 to 5 years

As the nation’s leading federally funded early learning program, Head Start serves children and families in every state and congressional district in the country with a consistently high level of quality. However, Head Start’s role in each state differs greatly based on local systems and models. The purpose of Head Start programs is to promote the school readiness of children ages 3 to 5 years. Most of these programs are based in centers. In other programs, children and families may receive services from educators and family service staff who regularly make home visits.

Learn more from the IDOE

Find a Head Start Program

Use this interactive map to find a Head Start Program in your county.

Learn more from the Iowa Head Start Association

Child Find, Referrals and Intake

The Iowa Department of Education ensures that all infants and toddlers with disabilities in the state who are eligible for early intervention services are identified, located, and evaluated. Take a deeper look at how children are identified and what the referral and intake process look like.

Learn more from i3

Special Education: Child Find Process

Child Find is the process used to determine if a child needs special education services and supports. Each state is required by federal law to identify and evaluate children with disabilities, birth to 21, to determine their need for special education services. The law is known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Learn more from i3

Initial Evaluations for Early Intervention

The Iowa Department of Education, as the Lead Agency, ensures each infant and toddler who is referred for evaluation to determine the need for early intervention services receives a timely, comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation unless determined eligible through a review of medical and other records.

Learn more from the Iowa IDEA Information

IFSP: The Process and Plan

Each eligible child has an Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP, which is both a process and a written plan intended to assist families and professionals to meet the developmental needs of a child from birth to age three. When developing an IFSP, the team, which includes the parents, must give careful consideration to the child’s and family’s strengths, needs, and interests.

Learn more from i3

Parent Participation in the IFSP Processes

Parents are essential partners in early intervention and must be encouraged to participate in all IFSP team decisions. In order to ensure parents' involvement, Area Education Agencies, and signatory agencies must provide parents the opportunity to participate in Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meetings discussing all aspects of their child’s early intervention services.

Learn more from i3

ASK an Expert: The Individualized Service Plan (IFSP) and Procedural Safeguards

Learn about the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process, be informed about parent involvement in an IFSP and explore the rights that parents have with an IFSP.

Watch the ASK an Expert Webinar

Early ACCESS Transition Toolbox

Iowa IDEA Information: Develop a better understanding of what happens to transition children successfully out of Early ACCESS at age three and what options there are for the future.

Learn more from i3

Exiting Early Intervention

A child may exit Early ACCESS services at various times and for various reasons. However, all children receiving Early ACCESS services must exit by the time they reach their third birthday. When a child is exited from services, the IFSP team must accurately document the exit including the exit reason.

Learn more from i3

ASK an Expert: Moving from Early Access (IFSP) to Early Childhood Special Education (IEP)

Explore the differences between Early ACCESS services and Early Childhood Special Education services and gain knowledge about the child find process used to determine a child’s need for special education. Learn about possible options in transition planning for when your child and family exit Early ACCESS services.

Watch the ASK an Expert Webinar

Early Childhood Special Education

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services for preschool children and their families are provided by Area Education Agencies (AEAs) and local school districts. Preschool children who are eligible for special education and support/related services and their families are entitled to the rights and protections guaranteed under the federal law Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 and Administrative Rules of Special Education. Infants and toddlers with disabilities (ages birth to 2 years) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C, Iowa's Early ACCESS. Special education information for children ages 3 to 21 years of age is also available via the Special Education webpages.

Learn more from the IDOE

Early Childhood Standards

The Iowa Department of Education (Department) supports quality learning opportunities and environments for young children by developing, implementing, and monitoring preschool programs and services provided by, or in partnership with, school districts. High quality research-based early learning experiences are essential to build a foundation to successfully achieve the social and academic challenges of school-age programs.

Learn more from the IDOE

Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children

The purpose of Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP) for Four-Year-Old Children is to provide an opportunity for all young children in the State of Iowa to enter school ready to learn by expanding voluntary access to quality preschool curricula for all four-year-old children. The allocation of funds for the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program is intended to improve access to quality early childhood education and provide a predictable, equitable, and sustainable funding method to increase the number of children participating in quality programs. Therefore, the four-year-old preschool funds are intended to increase the number of children participating in quality programs.

Learn more from the IDOE

Procedural Safeguard Manual for Parents Rights for Children Ages Birth - 3

State and federal laws and regulations outline what needs to happen for eligible infants and toddlers with conditions or developmental delays to enhance their growth and development. The following document serves as your procedural safeguards notice and will help you understand the rights available to you and your child through federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 Part C and the Iowa Administrative Rules for Early ACCESS Integrated System of Early Intervention Services.

Learn More at the Iowa Department of Education

Procedural Safeguards Manual: Rights of Parents of Students with Disabilities Ages 3-21

The rights that parents have in the Special Education process are called “Procedural Safeguards”. This document from the Iowa Department of Education describes the legal requirements that guide IEP teams and options that parents have in the Special Education process including the formal “dispute resolution” processes available help to resolve disagreements.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education Website

Child Care Assistance

The three types of regulated child care in Iowa are Licensed Centers, Child Development Homes, and Child Care Homes. All licensed providers are able to participate in a quality rating program to increase their program's quality and receive a quality score based on their training level.

Learn more from Health & Human Services

Nutrition

Good nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy foods helps pregnant people and children get the nutrients their bodies need to stay healthy, active, and strong. Health managers and program staff can explore resources to support healthy eating habits and find nutrition assistance information to share with families.

Learn more from the US Dept of Health and Human Services

Social and Emotional Development

Positive social and emotional development in the early years provides a critical foundation for lifelong development and learning. Social development refers to a child’s ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with adults and other children. Emotional development is a child’s ability to express, recognize, and manage his or her emotions, as well as respond appropriately to others’ emotions. Both social and emotional development are important for young children’s mental health. In fact, early childhood mental health is the same as social and emotional development!

Learn more from the US Dept of Health and Human Services

Tears and Tempers: Behavior is Communication

This resource includes some practical steps to help parents determine why their children are having tantrums and what they can do to help them replace tantrums with better communication methods.

Learn more from PACER

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

This national resource is a collection of short videos help parents understand how to interact with professionals that are working with their children, their roles in taking part in their child’s care, and activities they can do to promote healthy growth and development.

Learn more from ECTA Center