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Montana Milestones Early Intervention

His first smile. Her first little steps. His first words. Your child's first three years of life are incredible! Brain development is happening every day. This means it is the time when intervention can make the biggest difference if something isn't developing as it should. The early years matter.

The Child Development Center partners with the State of Montana to provide Montana Milestones/Part C Early Intervention in western MT.

What is ‘Early Intervention’?

Montana Milestones Early Intervention provides services for infants and toddlers who need extra support to learn important skills typically gained in the first three years of life. Also known nationally as Part C, an early intervention program is offered free of charge in every U.S. state.

To find out how Early Intervention is funded in Montana, go to Montana's Part C System of Payments Policy.

I have questions about my infant or toddler’s development – what should I do?

If you have any questions about how your little one is learning, acting or growing, we are here to help! Even if you are unsure about your concerns, there is no reason to wait and see.

You can contact the Child Development Center team near you to ask questions or share your concerns. Or, if you are ready to explore your questions further, you can make a referral. Making a referral is a simple way to give us information about your child. After you make a referral, we can begin working together to find out if Early Intervention could help.

Every child is unique, but this *checklist may help you monitor typical milestones of healthy infant and toddler development.
*This resource should not replace a professional evaluation.

Will my child qualify for Early Intervention?

Early Intervention is for families with infants or toddlers up to the age of three. There are two ways a child can qualify for Early Intervention:

  • Your child shows possible delays in one or more areas of development.
  • Your child has an established condition with a high probability for developmental delays, such as premature birth or a genetic disorder.

To find out for sure if your baby or toddler will qualify, start by making a referral. A referral gives us the basic information we need to begin working together.

 


Send a message to our MT Milestones Early Intervention team or call us at 1-800-914-4779.

 

How will Early Intervention help my child?

As a parent, you know your baby best. As child development experts, we know you are your child’s best teacher. This is why our services focus on giving you the tools to support your little one’s needs.

We'll get started by working with your family to make a plan, called an Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP). The goals of the plan are based on your child’s developmental needs, and designed to fit in with your family’s everyday routines. We might work on communication, self-help skills (washing, eating, dressing, etc.) behavior and other areas. In some cases, extra support such as speech or physical therapy might be part of the plan. If so, Early Intervention will cover the cost of consultative therapy sessions.

One of our certified Family Support Specialists will meet with you two to four times per month to work on the goals set by your family. We can meet in the convenience of your home or at another location in the community.

You might wonder how you'll know whether services are actually meeting your child's need and making progress on their goals. Goals are also called "child outcomes." This guide explains the child outcomes measurement process, and how you can participate. In addition, the State of Montana reviews aspects of our agency's performance every year. You can see the annual Part C Performance Reports here.

Following your lead, we will partner with your family to give your child a strong start for a bright future!

I want links to more information about early intervention

Montana Resources:

National Resources:

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