Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 118.djvu/2774

 118 STAT. 2744 PUBLIC LAW 108–446—DEC. 3, 2004 ‘‘PART C—INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES ‘‘SEC. 631. FINDINGS AND POLICY. ‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that there is an urgent and substantial need— ‘‘(1) to enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, to minimize their potential for developmental delay, and to recognize the significant brain development that occurs during a child’s first 3 years of life; ‘‘(2) to reduce the educational costs to our society, including our Nation’s schools, by minimizing the need for special edu cation and related services after infants and toddlers with disabilities reach school age; ‘‘(3) to maximize the potential for individuals with disabil ities to live independently in society; ‘‘(4) to enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with disabilities; and ‘‘(5) to enhance the capacity of State and local agencies and service providers to identify, evaluate, and meet the needs of all children, particularly minority, low income, inner city, and rural children, and infants and toddlers in foster care. ‘‘(b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to provide financial assistance to States— ‘‘(1) to develop and implement a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system that pro vides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; ‘‘(2) to facilitate the coordination of payment for early inter vention services from Federal, State, local, and private sources (including public and private insurance coverage); ‘‘(3) to enhance State capacity to provide quality early intervention services and expand and improve existing early intervention services being provided to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; and ‘‘(4) to encourage States to expand opportunities for chil dren under 3 years of age who would be at risk of having substantial developmental delay if they did not receive early intervention services. ‘‘SEC. 632. DEFINITIONS. ‘‘In this part: ‘‘(1) AT RISK INFANT OR TODDLER.—The term ‘at risk infant or toddler’ means an individual under 3 years of age who would be at risk of experiencing a substantial developmental delay if early intervention services were not provided to the individual. ‘‘(2) COUNCIL.—The term ‘council’ means a State inter agency coordinating council established under section 641. ‘‘(3) DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY.—The term ‘developmental delay’, when used with respect to an individual residing in a State, has the meaning given such term by the State under section 635(a)(1). ‘‘(4) EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES.—The term ‘early inter vention services’ means developmental services that— ‘‘(A) are provided under public supervision; 20 USC 1432. 20 USC 1431.

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