CA ACR77

Recognizes that California children from birth to age three deserve periodic formal developmental assessments and access to easily accessible, sufficient, responsive, timely, and high-quality early intervention services and supports.

Acknowledges that fewer than one-third of California infants and toddlers receive recommended developmental and behavioral screenings, and nearly three-quarters of children with special health care needs under three do not receive early intervention services.

Urges the Legislature to leverage existing efforts and statutes to create an accountable, results-oriented, and coordinated statewide network providing family-centered, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary early identification and intervention services to infants and toddlers.

Calls for the Legislature to support community-driven efforts like Help Me Grow California to coordinate referrals and guide families through early identification and intervention systems, particularly addressing barriers faced by Latino and African American children.

Resolves that early intervention services be embedded in and accessible from places families trust, including pediatric practices, community-based organizations, regional centers, Early Head Start programs, and First 5 programs.