DFS New Worker Training

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DFS New Worker Training

• Child Development Watch (New Castle County)
• 2055 Limestone Road, Suite 201
• Wilmington, DE 19808
• 302-995-8617
• Child Development Watch (Kent Sussex County)
• 18 N. Walnut Street
• Milford, DE 19963
• 302-424-7300

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What is Child Development Watch?
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• IDEA Part C (Individuals with Disabilities
  Education Act)-- Birth to Three Early
  Intervention System Delawares Birth to Three
  early intervention services are operated
• by Child Development Watch in the Division of
  Public Health, and administered by the Birth to
  Three Early Intervention System, Delaware Health
  and Social Services, in collaboration with the
  U.S. Department of Education.

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Child Development Watch is

• the statewide early intervention program for
  children ages birth to 3. The program's mission
  is to enhance the development of infants and
  toddlers with disabilities or developmental
  delays and to enhance the capacity of their
  families to meet the needs of their young
  children.
• comprised of staff from several state agencies,
  the duPont Hospital for Children and Christiana
  Care. These professionals work together to
  provide multidisciplinary assessments, service
  coordination, plan development and service
  delivery to eligible children from birth up to
  age three and their families.

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The Referral Process

• A referral is made by calling CDW and letting the
  receptionist know that you would like to make a
  referral. They will connect you to someone to
  take the necessary identifying information and
  will ask what the developmental concern is for
  the child
• The case is assigned to a Family Service
  Coordinator or a nurse at Triage
• Contact is attempted with the family within 2
  business days of case assignment and the
  developmental assessment is scheduled

• At the assessment, the childs development is
  assessed by a team of professionals consisting of
  developmental nurses, child development
  specialists, a pediatrician and other
  professionals
• If the child has no delays, the CDW case will be
  closed as the child would be ineligible for
  services
• If the child has delays or there is an
  established condition, the Family Service
  Coordinator or nurse develops an IFSP with the
  family and refers the child for services

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Developmental Domains

• Motor-
• Fine Motor- pre-writing skills, using pincer
  grasp, picking up small toys
• Gross Motor- sitting up, crawling, walking,
  running, jumping
• Cognitive- ability to solve problems, memory
  skills
• Self-Help/ Adaptive- expressing or meeting ones
  needs- crying when hungry, holding own bottle,
  feeding self, showing interest in toilet
  training
• Social/ Emotional- ability to relate to others
• Communication-
• Expressive- how the child vocalizes, uses words
  or gestures to make needs known
• Receptive- ability of the child to understand
  what is said to him/ her

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What qualifies as a developmental delay?

• If the child is found to more than 25 delayed in
  cognitive, social/ emotional, motor, adaptive or
  more than 30 delayed in his/her communication
  skills, the child qualifies for Child Development
  Watch services.

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Why might a child have a developmental delay?

• prenatal environment (exposure to illegal drugs
  and other substances, lack of prenatal care)
• environmental conditions (lacking appropriate
  stimulation in their environment)
• medical issues (pre-maturity, genetic issues,
  other medical conditions)
• other reasons

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What are DFS responsibilities as a team member?

• Screen all children that DFS comes into contact
  with from the ages of 0-3
• Talk to the family about any concerns
• Talk to the Primary Care Physician of the child
  about any concerns
• Make a referral when there are concerns
• Keep lines of communication open
• Obtain an educational surrogate parent when needed

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Protocol for Referrals to CDW

• DFS worker will utilize the variety of
  developmental checklists and charts provided as a
  tool to identify children with suspected
  developmental delays
• DFS will contact the parent of a potentially
  eligible child and discuss the concerns with the
  parent. DFS will encourage the parent to make
  the referral to CDW for their child.
• In situations in which it is not likely that the
  parent will make the referral, the DFS worker
  will make the referral to CDW
• In NCC call 995-8616 In Kent Sussex call
  424-7300
• DFS worker will be asked to provide childs name,
  DOB, MCI , address, phone number, gender,
  insurance information, PCP, mothers name, her
  DOB, address, phone number, fathers name, DOB,
  address, phone number, pertinent history, and
  reason for referral

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Protocol for Referrals to CDW

• DFS will document referral to CDW in notes
  section of FACTS
• CDW will obtain consent to share information with
  DFS and information will be shared as necessary
  for case planning purposes
• DFS will be made aware of the status of the
  referral, the assessment, and be invited to the
  IFSP planning meeting if the child is found
  eligible

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What are the services provided by Part C?

• Assistive Technology - equipment and technology
  used to assist the child's development
• Audiology - hearing services
• Family Training and Counseling
• Health Services - special health services
  provided in cooperation with your child's primary
  doctor
• Nutrition Plans
• Nursing Services
• Occupational Therapy - program to teach
  self-help, playing and eating skills
• Physical Therapy - program involving motor skills
  and various movements
• Psychological Services - counseling on behavior
  management, learning, and mental health
• Social Work - family and child counseling and
  help with coordination of services
• Special Instruction - services related to the
  child's skill development
• Speech-Language Therapy - services related to the
  child's language development Transportation -
  assistance to and from appointments
• Visual Services - services related to improving
  the child's visual development

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The Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP)

• The educational surrogate parent program is an
  independent state agency mandated under federal
  law to protect educational rights of children and
  young adults with disabilities as defined under
  IDEA. Federal law demands that each state
  provide a system whereby children who are in
  state custody will be provided an independent
  voice to advocate for their educational needs.
  Delaware created the Educational Surrogate Parent
  program to provide this service to children and
  young adults who have been placed in state
  custody and whose parents are no longer able to
  advocate for their needs.

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ESP (cont)

• The ESP program has one full time coordinator who
  recruits, trains and matches volunteers with
  children who are in need of advocacy and meet
  criteria to the program
• Darlene Lantz, ESP Coordinator
• 900 King Street, Suite 230
• Wilmington, DE 19081
• 2551740 phone [phone] fax

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When might you (as DFS worker) be asked to assist
with obtaining an ESP for a child?

• Parental rights are terminated
• Parent can not be identified
• Parents whereabouts are unknown
• Parents voluntary consent to appointment of ESP
• complete referral form and include appropriate
  documentation and fax or send to Darlene Lantz

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Who can sign CDW Consents and the IFSP?

• Childs parent
• Childs legal guardian
• Educational Surrogate Parent
• Relative with whom child resides
• Foster parents can not sign unless they are
  appointed as the ESP for the child.
• (DFS can sign for releases of information if they
  hold custody)

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Definitions of Eligible Infants and Toddlers
under Part C of IDEA

• If the child has an established condition-
• chromosomal (Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 18, Trisomy
  13, Klinefelter, et)
• genetic disorders (muscular dystrophy, Tay Sachs,
  et)
• severe infections diseases (HIV, toxoplasmosis,
  rebella, syphilis, variecella, meningitis,
  encephalitis)
• neurologic disorders (neonatal seizures, mutliple
  apnea episodes, cerebral palsy, seizure disorder,
  birth injury, degenerative disorder, et)

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Definitions of Eligible Infants and Toddlers
under Part C of IDEA (cont)

• established condition- (cont)
• Congenital anomalies (spina bifida,
  hydrocephalus, cleft palate, limb deficiences)
• Sensory disorders (moderate to severe visual and/
  or hearing impairment)
• Severe adjustment, socio-affective and other
  atypical disorders (autism, atypical child
  (nervous, withdrawn, anxious behavior), PDD, ODD,
  Shyness Disorder of Childhood
• Severe Toxic Exposure- effect on child from
  prenatal exposure to alcohol, cocaine, phenytoin
  or coumadin, other illegal substances and
  postnatal lead poisoning. For illegal substances
  child must be suffering from withdrawal symptoms-
  excessive crying, jittery, difficult to soothe,
  or when placed on opium to ease withdrawal
  symptoms

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Prenatal Exposure to Toxic Substances

• -a child or mother that tests positive for
  cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, opiates,
  barbiturates, heroin, et al, at birth does not in
  and of itself warrant a referral to Child
  Development Watch. Only children who tested
  positive at birth and suffer effects from that
  exposure are appropriate to be referred to CDW
• -for children who test positive to illegal toxic
  substance but do not have effects or for children
  whose mother tested positive to illegal toxic
  substance but the baby themselves did not test
  positive, it would be appropriate to refer these
  children for a Public Health Nurse to monitor the
  child and family. The Public Health nurse in
  turn would refer to CDW if concerns arose
  regarding the childs development. A referral
  for a Public Health Nurse can be made by the same
  phone numbers as referring for CDW which are the
  central intake phone numbers. The DFS Worker is
  to specify referring for Public Health Nurse and
  will be asked to provide other appropriate
  identifying information as necessary

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Definitions of Eligible Infants and Toddlers
under Part C of IDEA (cont)

• established condition- (cont)
• Medically fragile
• Chronic medical illness
• Low birth weight/ small for gestational age birth
  weight less than 1250 grams for gestational age
  and birth weight less than 2000 grams at term
• Growth deficiency- failure to thrive inorganic
  or organic

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Role of the DFS Liaison

• Primary case manager for majority of DFS cases
  referred to CDW
• Trains all new DFS employees on CDW
• Trains all CDW employees on DFS related issues
• Ensures that children DFS marks as appropriate
  for referral to CDW are referred to CDW
• Annual statistic count showing DFS children
  active with CDW, DFS foster children active with
  CDW, and DFS children of substantiated DFS cases
  active with CDW
• Answers questions by CDW/ DFS staff as they
  arise
• Has access to FACTS and can let CDW staff know
  name of DFS worker or if case is presently active
  with DFS
• Other duties as required..

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Your DFS Liaisons

• New Castle CountySarah MacDonaldChild
  Development Watch2055 Limestone Road, Suite
  201Wilmington, DE 19808302-995-8617
• Kent/Sussex CountyJoEllen KimmeyChild
  Development Watch18 N. Church StreetMilford, DE
  19963302-424-7335
• Direct supervision of DFS Liaison is by the local
  CDW Clinic Manager.
• Liaisons are also supervised byGail WombleDSCYF
  Program Administrator1825 Faulkland
  RoadWilmington, DE 19805302-892-6438