Free services until 3 yrs., right???
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Ok, I just found out this morning that J's parents are having to pay $30/month for his sucky 1 day/week sessions that only last 30 min. each time. I know that birth to 3 is supposed to be free, correct??? They are having to work with First Steps, so does that make it different? Early intervention is supposed to be free. At least it is where I come from. Here they take kids starting at age 2 into the public school preschool system.I thought if you were evaluated and qualified to need the services, then they were free! At 3, we lost part C(where they come to your house) and had to strart going through school system. I thought this was a feredal law! I would contact EI and talk to someone ASAP!Since I have really young children I only know what happens before they hit 5years old. I know for a fact you get services with E.I until the child reaches Kindergarten. Then I think it is the school district that takes over. But def. free services from E.I. from birth to 3 then you transition over to another age group from 3-5.Is there anyone here who is also from Kentucky? Maybe you could give your personal experience with First Steps and let me know if it is this way for you too. His grandmother said something about a "sliding scale". He just turned 2 in Aug. so it should be free for another year, from what I have learned. Missouri now has a sliding scale co-Pay. And hopefully, a governor on his way OUT.Wisconsin parents may have to pay something for Birth to Three services depending on their income. I don't know the specifics. Ohio is free, Indiana is not. MA is free after a one time sliding fee copay based on your income. I think I paid maybe 25 or 50 dollars. After that everything he had up until he was 3 was free from EI. He had intensive Early Intervention through a group called Building Blocks and they were paid by EI also. ... and then they get to the School District, and get NOTHING. No copays, but NO services, either.Not free in IL either but private speech is at least 100/hour so $30 per month is a deal. I wish it were free here too.http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/firststeps.htm First Steps is a statewide early intervention system which provides services to children from birth to age three with developmental disabilities and their families. First Steps is Kentucky's response to the federal initiative called the Infant-Toddler Program (ITP) established by Public Law 99-457 Part C. First Steps offers comprehensive services through coordination with a variety of community agencies and service disciplines. First Steps is administered by the Department for Public Health within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Why Provide Services? First Steps provides services for the following reasons: Typically, there is significant improvement in development and learning in those children who participate in early intervention. A child with a delay or condition that is likely to cause delay should not go through the critical developmental years without help. Services and support benefit families by reducing stress. Early intervention services often decrease the need for later costly special education programs by remediating problems early in the child's life. Who Does First Steps Serve? First Steps serves children from birth to age 3 and their families. Children are determined eligible for services in two ways: By developmental delay. Evaluation shows that the child is not developing typically in one of five skill areas: cognition, communication, physical, social and emotional, or self-help. Automatic entry by diagnosis of a physical or mental condition which has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay, such as Down Syndrome. Where Does First Steps Provide Services? First Steps provides services in all Kentucky counties. Services may be provided in home, in center-based programs or in clinical settings depending upon the needs of the child and family and the availability of services in a given area. Who Do I Call To Find Out More About First Steps Services? Anyone can refer a child for services by calling 800-442-0087. Referral will then be made to a team at the district Point of Entry Staff List office who will initially assist a child and family accessing needed services. Services are available to any child and family who meet developmental eligibility criteria, regardless of income. A family's participation in First Steps services is always optional. [QUOTE=melomo83] Is there anyone here who is also from Kentucky? Maybe you could give your personal experience with First Steps and let me know if it is this way for you too. His grandmother said something about a "sliding scale". He just turned 2 in Aug. so it should be free for another year, from what I have learned. [/QUOTE] http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/firstSteps/fs-new.htm Important Information for Families The Department for Public Health assumes responsibility for administration of the First Steps Family Share program, including billing. Based on your family’s income and size, you will be required to make Family Share payments ranging from $20 to $100 per month to share in the cost of your child’s early intervention services. Family Share is a monthly participation fee that is not based upon how many or how few services are received in a given month. You will receive a Family Share bill from the Department for Public Health. You are responsible for paying your Family Share beginning in the month that services start. Mail payments to the Department of Public Health as indicated on your Family Share bill. Please ask your service coordinator to contact the Family Share Administrator if your services will start in a different month than your first Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting. Families participating in First Steps Family Share will receive a monthly invoice that includes:
Families who choose to use their insurance (those with insurance coverage only) are also required to pay their monthly Family Share. If service providers receive insurance payments in a calendar year that equal or exceed your total Family Share amount for the same calendar year, you will no longer be responsible for Family Share for the rest of that calendar year. You will also receive a refund of Family Share payments you made for that calendar year. If you use First Steps service providers who accept your insurance, you are not responsible for insurance co-pays or deductibles. Families who use their insurance need to save the "Explanation of Benefits" (EOBs) from their insurance companies. It is your responsibility to notify and forward to the Family Share Administrator copies of your EOBs when insurance payments equal or exceed your total Family Share amount for the calendar year. You may email Lisa Dorman, the Family Share Administrator, or call her at (502) 564-3756. Please note the following:
All checks should be made payable to Kentucky State Treasurer and mailed to: Family Share Administrator If you have questions about Family Share, please call your service coordinator. No. FREE begins at age 3. Early Intervention is run differently, state to state. States have to have SOMETHING in place, but that something varies, the entity that oversees it varies (for example, in NY Early Intervention is under the supervision of the Health Dept.) and states can charge. Once the services transition to IDEA (age 3 to 21), they MUST be free. I believe in CO they charge your insurance if used over 3 months? Anyways, we have tri-care and services will end in 3 months for T because he'll then be 3 and in pre-school . Here in CA EI is free and goes until age 3. Then you transitions to the school district you are in. In CT it used to be free, but now you do have to pay something each month regardless of how much EI you received (some may receive EI 5x a week, some 1x a week). The payment is based on a sliding scale based on your income. I was surprised, but gladly paid it since it was a lot less than if I paid someone privately. I'm sure some people get it completely free if they don't have the money.Not free in Illinois - $200/month for DH and I becuase we both work.Birth-3 (early intervention) is not free all over the USA...in some states it is, apparently. It's a federal funded and state funded (ie: you are paying for it with your tax dollars) program and typically there is a sliding scale based on family size and family income. In my state, if you have a family of 3 and make over 100,000/year you pay around $160/mo. If you have a family of 3 and make around 60,000 I think you pay around $70/mo. The type of service and the frequency of service doesn't matter. For example, the child could be receiving 2x/mo speech therapy and 2x/mo OT for $70/mo and a child with the same income/family status could be receiving speech 1x/wk, OT 1x/wk, PT 1x/wk, teacher 1x/wk and ABA 20 hours/mo and still pay that same $70. If you're concerned that the services she's receiving are crappy, you should ask her to push for more services, and services by a different therapist. I'm in CT and some families don't pay anything--I think if they make less than $40,000 per year, or if their child is on the Husky plan, or Medicare. Sometimes it's less money for families to seek private therapy where their insurance covers everything but the copay, and they can get as much service as the private therapist deems necessary. Wasn't free in Washington DC, went by income. Ours were free cause we are in the military and we don't make that much money. But it was based on a sliding scale. The more you made and the less dependents you had the larger your share of the cost. We werent free here either :) We had to pay a fee depending our income.NO. Birth to three differs from state to state. Some states charge and they are allowed to. 3 to 21 is free. Below is a link to the government's own Q&A about early intervention services. I've also pasted in the part about paying. The actual evaluations and assessments, however, are free: http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/parent/pa2txt.htm Will I have to pay for any services?"Whether or not you, as parents, will have to pay for any services for your child depends on the policies of your state. Under IDEA, the following services must be provided at no cost to families:
Depending on your state’s policies, you may have to pay for certain other services. You may be charged a “sliding-scale” fee, meaning the fees are based on what you earn. Check with the contact person in your area or state. Some services may be covered by your health insurance, by Medicaid, or by Indian Health Services. Every effort is made to provide services to all infants and toddlers who need help, regardless of family income. Services cannot be denied to a child just because his or her family is not able to pay for them." |
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