Disabilities & Scope of Services  

Screening of Children with Disabilities

Gads Hill Center guarantees that each child entering the program will be screened and assessed with developmentally appropriate tools that assist in detecting disabilities in young children. Further, screenings support participant families with knowledge of disabilities and demonstrate how Gads Hill Center as an agency can assist them with finding other services and support for their children. We consistently exceed the 10% enrollment indicator for children with disabilities and strive to meet the needs of the community, which has few resources for children with disabilities, especially those that can be delivered in Spanish. If children are found ineligible for services at the initial screening, GHC staff will continue to support their needs and determine if another referral is warranted at the time of the next screening. GHC program staff will continue to support education staff and home visitors in meeting the child’s needs with the support of the GHC Education and Disabilities Team.

Serving Children with Disabilities and Referral Partnerships

Gads Hill Center ensures compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the law governing services to children with disabilities. The program operates with strict adherence to the policy of being accepting and inclusive of all children, regardless of their abilities. Enrolled children with suspected and identified disabilities and their families receive all applicable services delivered in the least restrictive environment possible. This approach includes provisions for recruitment, enrollment, screening, transition and accommodation through facilities, materials, instruction, staffing and partnerships. The program partners with parents of children with suspected and identified disabilities to ensure the needs of their children are being met, to provide them with the information and skills to help them better understand their child’s disability and to support them in becoming advocates for their children’s educational needs. Family Support Workers (FSW) support children with previously diagnosed disabilities or disabilities that may be identified after enrollment in the program. The process of identification includes a referral to a local Part C service provider or Local Education Agency, an assessment, and, if the child qualifies, the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or an Individual Education Plan (IEP). FSW staff partner with parents to provide support during the identification of a child's special needs. Our management staff provides training for FSW staff to guide and support parents through the identification process, referral process, and support after the referral process.

GHC enrolls children from various backgrounds, demographic locations, and households. Parents that have children with disabilities are encouraged to enroll in the program for much more than services, but a long-lasting relationship that will support children as they navigate specific supports needed to thrive. Teachers are equipped with training that promotes communication with parents about disabilities and knowledge of the referral process. GHC has become the provider of choice for many and the program has consistently realized successful outcomes with disabilities enrollment as a result of effective staff communication and awareness of the individualized needs of the child and family that enrolls in the program. For children who are determined to have a significant delay in one or more areas of development that may interfere with the child’s development and school readiness, GHC staff partners with parents to help the family access services and supports through the child’s health insurance or through section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Partner Agencies & Disabilities

As a Delegate agency, with Partners agencies we ensure our Partner Agencies implement high-quality programs that adhere to the requirements by providing an enhanced high quality, comprehensive service delivery model for all children and families in our program. This includes a Network Manager to oversee and operate each program under the Children Services Department (Center-Based, Home Visiting, and Partners), and who assures quality through a collaborative strength-based approach. Other resources to support quality programming at Delegate Agencies include a Compliance Manager, who audits files and provides training to increase knowledge and use of the Child Outcome Planning & Assessment Software (COPA) system (or other systems as will be required of GHC as a grantee). We also ensure intentional parent/caregiver engagement in our delegates by assigning each a Family Support Worker (FSW). The FSW focuses on building strong relationships with each family and comes to understand each child’s individual need for support, providing wrap-around linkages and referrals as needed. Our programs are geared to support diverse learners with varying abilities, as such we retain an Education/Disabilities Manager, who develops learning plans and gives individualized coaching and consulting to teachers to provide the most effective approach to working with a wide range of skills. Understanding the impact that health and nutrition play in the development of children we work alongside experienced consultants, who also develop treatment plans to address health concerns and provide workshops to build the competency of our parents to understand the importance of a well-balanced lifestyle. Finally, we offer comprehensive mental health services, to each one of our delegates that focus both on the families they serve and the staff that serve them. These supports are equal in quality and quantity to the services we offer in our own internal center-based sites.