Babies Can’t Wait (BCW), Georgia’s early intervention program serving families with children ages birth to 3 years, focuses on optimizing the potential of at-risk infants and toddlers with developmental delays due to a diagnosed or chronic medical condition. Since 1987 and at no charge to families, Babies Can’t Wait provides children with early evaluation and screening, offering supports and resources to family members and caregivers to expand children’s learning and development through daily opportunities within a natural environment. Early intervention is especially critical to assist children in navigating within home and community settings. Regardless of income, Babies Can’t Wait serves children with diagnosed physical or mental conditions, such as blindness, Down Syndrome or Spina Bifida, resulting in developmental delay.
Located statewide, services are delivered by agencies and individuals from both public and private sectors. Skilled Credentialed Early Interventionists (SCEIs) is a collaborative of personnel dedicated to the training needs and development of early intervention providers and located at Valdosta State University. Project SCEI offers service providers, both professional and paraprofessional, online and face-to-face training modules designed to enhance appropriate skill sets and knowledge, competencies crucial to working with young children with disabilities. Training modules are featured in two distinct levels: Level I is designed and required for those providers who do not hold a bachelor’s degree, such as Early Intervention (EI) Assistants; Level II, also required, focuses on the needs of professional providers who have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in an early intervention discipline. Training content centers on a variety of skills, including evaluation and assessment, family engagement, professionalism, and child development.
An Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Valdosta State University, Dr. Jade Coston, assisted by Dr. Julie Lee, Dr. Corine Myers-
Jennings, and Lorna Mullins, leads the Babies Can’t Wait grant team. As an undergrad, studying speech language pathology at VSU, Dr. Coston developed an interest in early intervention, worked as a provider, and eventually became faculty at the university. Integral to the Babies Can’t Wait program, Dr. Coston created service development modules and provisions for the state, in addition to shaping operating systems and the vetting of provider applications. She also participates in the professional development committee, focusing on system policies and their revisions. Dr. Coston is committed to her work in supporting Babies Can’t Wait personnel needs, hosting SCEI’s Web site, and in-house training through BlazeView. Indicating that the support level to the state of Georgia is substantial, Dr. Coston emphasizes that service in a natural environment, outside of clinic or medical settings, better supports a family and their child, as caregivers use the family resources. Further, she feels it is essential that the caregiver integrate or embed themselves into the child’s world, becoming part of the daily routine.
Families with at-risk children typically find out about the non-profit Babies Can’t Wait program through the delivering hospital, pediatrician, or a self-referral; a prescription is not needed. In calling 1.800.229.2038, a parent is guided through the screening process and then referred to a local provider. Families are billed through their insurance company, services are never denied, and the regional Babies Can’t Wait agency will assist if needed.
Both Dr. Coston and Lorna Mullins feel strongly that getting the word out to families is vital in the early intervention process and that the profession is exceptionally rewarding for students.
For more information, see the SCEIs website at http://sceis.valdosta.edu/ and an article co-authored by Dr. Jade Coston on early intervention practices*, found at http://yec.sagepub.com.library.valdosta.edu:2048/content/18/2/3.2.full.pdf+html
*You must have access to the Odum Library to view the article.
