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The Birth to 3 Program is an early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities. The Birth to 3 Program provides a range of services to families to enhance their child’s development. The Birth to 3 Program is “family centered” and recognizes the importance of parents, family and friends in a young child’s life.
The Birth to 3 Program is for children ages birth to 36 months. Each child referred to the program will receive a team evaluation that includes two or more professionals from the following areas: special education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and more. Eligibility is based on a 25% delay in one or more areas of development, a diagnosed condition that is likely to result in a developmental delay or atypical (unusual) development that is likely to affect overall development.
Referrals to the Birth to 3 program may come from anyone who has concerns about a child’s development, which includes parents and guardians, friends, doctors, neighbors and child care providers. The Milwaukee County Birth to 3 Program accepts referrals by calling (414) 289-6799. Referrals can also be emailed to: birth_to_threedsd@milwaukeecountywi.gov or faxed to 414-289-8564.
If your child is currently enrolled in the Birth to 3 Program, your service coordinator will work with you to develop a transition plan at least 6 to 9 months prior to your child turning 3 years old. Your child can transition to your local education agency or public school, head start program or other programs within the community.
The following services are available at no cost to families that have a child who is eligible or may be eligible for the Birth to 3 Program: Referral, Screening, Evaluation, Development of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Service Coordination. Families that are in the Birth to 3 Program are asked to provide access to bill their insurance company. In Wisconsin, The Birth to 3 Program uses a Parental Cost Share System where parents share in the cost of early intervention services for their child. The Parental Cost Share System takes into consideration your family size and net family income. Children will not be denied services because families are unable to pay.
To meet the outcomes that families identify within the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), early intervention services may include service coordination, assistive technology, audiology and speech-language pathology, family training, counseling and home visits, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work services, special instruction and vision services and more.
For each child, the natural environment may be a different setting. Learning within natural environments includes use of your family’s everyday activity settings, your child’s interests and your own responsiveness to your child. Family activities provide many opportunities for your child to practice new skills. If Birth to 3 services are not able to be provided in the natural environment, exceptions can be made.