Policy and Management Supports for Effective Service Integration in Early Head Start and Part C Programs

Abstract

Effective service integration between Part C programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and Early Head Start (EHS) offers opportunities to serve children with disabilities in natural environments and to provide a full range of comprehensive services for low income families. This study was a qualitative inquiry in five states and six local communities to learn how state and local administrators, direct care providers, and parents perceive the process of service integration in Part C and EHS. Through open-ended interviews, respondents shared perceptions of collaboration between the two programs at referral and intake, evaluation and individualized planning, service delivery, and transition out of the programs. Researchers sorted narrative material into categories through both thematic analysis and computerized software. Respondents perceive effective service integration to include administrative structures (e.g., interagency agreements, personnel policies), and interpersonal relationships among the direct providers and families involved. Parents emphasized structural factors such as a stable staff with minimal turnover, and interpersonal factors such as a comfortable and harmonious atmosphere among themselves and staff from the two programs. Staff stressed informal and open channels of communication, as well as clear and understandable procedures. Administrators highlighted joint trainings, policies coordinating schedules for evaluation and planning, and mutual respect for each other's programs. Research, policy, and practice implications of the identified factors are discussed.