Part C (Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, P.L. 108-446 ) authorizes a formula grant program for infants and toddlers with disabilities (ages birth through two) and their families. A general purpose of these grants is to aid states in developing and implementing "a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system that provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families." In 2016, approximately 373,000 infants and toddlers received early intervention services under Part C of the IDEA. Originally enacted in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, P.L. 94-142 , the IDEA is the main federal law that provides for the education of children and youth with disabilities from birth through age 21. When first enacted, the IDEA focused on ensuring that elementary and secondary school-aged children with disabilities would be provided a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). At that time, Congress found that more than half of all children with disabilities were not receiving appropriate educational services and that 1 million children with disabilities were excluded entirely from the public school system. Further, Congress found that many public school children were prevented from having successful educational experiences because their disabilities were undiagnosed. Additional factors that precipitated the enactment of P.L. 94-142 included (1) judicial decisions that found constitutional requirements existed for the education of children with disabilities, (2) the inability of states and localities to fund education for children with disabilities, and (3) the potential long-term benefits of educating children with disabilities. The IDEA is primarily thought of as the nation's special education law, and Part B, which focuses on providing special education and related services to children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 years old, is the largest part of the IDEA both in terms of populations served and funding level. However, the IDEA covers more than special education. The IDEA consists of four parts. Part A contains the general provisions, including the purposes of the act and definitions. The aforementioned largest part, Part B, contains provisions relating to the education of school aged children (the grants-to-states program) and the state grants program for preschool children with disabilities (Section 619). Part C, the focus of this report, authorizes state grants for programs serving infants and toddlers with disabilities. Finally, Part D contains the requirements for various national activities designed to improve the education of children with disabilities. Appendix A provides a more detailed summary of each of the four parts. Since 1975, the IDEA has been the subject of numerous reauthorizations to extend services and rights for children with disabilities. The most recent reauthorization was P.L. 108-446 in 2004. The IDEA's 1986 reauthorization added a new part related to infants and toddlers with disabilities. Known originally as Part H but later changed to Part C, this addition extended IDEA programs to infants and toddlers with disabilities from birth to their third birthdays, when children become eligible for services under Part B of the IDEA. In 1986, Congress recognized "an urgent and substantial need" to enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities and to minimize their potential for developmental delay; reduce the educational costs to our society, including our nation's schools, by minimizing the need for special education and related services after infants and toddlers with disabilities reach school age; minimize the likelihood of institutionalization of individuals with disabilities and maximize the potential for their independent living in society; and enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with disabilities. With the exception of two additions, the congressional findings are virtually unchanged in the current authorization of the IDEA. Congress now recognizes "the significant brain development that occurs during a child's first 3 years of life," as a reason Part C of the IDEA is needed, and specifies Part C's intent to "enhance the capacity of State and local agencies and service providers to identify, evaluate, and meet the needs of all children, particularly minority, low-income, inner city, and rural children, and infants and toddlers in foster care." All states and eligible territories are currently participating in the Part C program. In order to participate in the Part C, Grants to Infants and Families program, each state must meet the requirements contained in the current IDEA statute and regulations, which include but are not limited to assuring that every eligible child and family will have early intervention available to them; designating a lead agency to administer and supervise the Part C program and appointing an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) that includes parents of infants and toddlers with disabilities, early intervention service providers, and employees of relevant state agencies to advise and assist the lead agency; and specifying the policies and procedures that will be implemented to ensure the required components of the comprehensive statewide early intervention system are enacted. Each state's governor is responsible for designating the agency in the state that will serve as the "lead agency" for the early intervention system. Since governors choose the agency they deem most appropriate to serve as lead agency in their states, lead agencies vary from state to state, commonly being found in Departments of Education, Health, or Human Services. Other examples of agencies where a state's lead agency for the early intervention system may be located include the Department of Rehabilitation Services, Department of Public Welfare, Department of Developmental Services, and the Department of Economic Security. The lead agency is responsible both for receiving the Part C grant and for administering the Part C program. In addition, the statute requires the lead agency in each state to identify and coordinate all available resources within the state from federal, state, local, and private sources; assign financial responsibility to the appropriate agencies; enter into formal interagency agreements that define the financial responsibility of each agency for paying for early intervention services; and develop procedures to ensure that both early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and dispute resolution services for families, agencies, and service providers are provided in a timely manner. In addition to designating the state's lead agency, the governor is responsible for appointing a state ICC to advise and assist the lead agency in various activities, including identifying and assigning financial responsibility to the appropriate agencies, promoting interagency agreements, and preparing applications and amendments for Part C. The ICC also advises and assists the state educational agency (SEA) in matters related to the transitioning of toddlers with disabilities out of early intervention services and into preschool programs or other services, and prepares an annual report to the governor and the Secretary of Education (hereinafter referred to as the Secretary) on the status of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families within the state. In appointing members to the ICC, the Governor needs to ensure the council reasonably represents the population of the state and is comprised of members of various stakeholder groups. At least 20% of the ICC must be comprised of parents of children with disabilities, and at least one of the parent members must have a child with a disability who is younger than seven years old. Another 20% or more of the ICC must be comprised of early intervention service providers. The ICC must also contain at least one member from each of the following groups: (1) the state legislature, (2) the SEA responsible for preschool services to children with disabilities, (3) an agency involved in personnel preparation, (4) each of the state agencies involved in the provision of, or payment for, early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, (5) the agency responsible for the state Medicaid program, (6) a Head Start agency or program, (7) a state agency responsible for child care, (8) the agency responsible for the state regulation of health insurance, (9) a representative designated by the Office of Coordinator for Education of Homeless Children and Youths, (10) the state child welfare agency responsible for foster care, and (11) the state agency responsible for children's mental health. Early intervention (EI) is designed to ensure that all infants and toddlers with diagnosed disabilities or developmental delays are identified and evaluated and have an individualized plan developed to meet their and their families' unique needs. This section of the report addresses (1) criteria infants and toddlers must meet to receive services under Part C of the IDEA, (2) how young children are identified and evaluated for early intervention services, and (3) the procedures for developing an individualized plan to provide services. Part C of the IDEA defines an "infant or toddler with a disability" as a child who is experiencing a developmental delay or who because of a diagnosed condition has a high probability of experiencing a developmental delay. Thus, the key concept for receipt of early intervention services is developmental delay. States are required to develop and use a "rigorous definition of the term 'developmental delay'" and provide a timely and comprehensive evaluation of each child suspected of having a developmental delay, or a disability which may cause a developmental delay, in one or more of the following developmental areas: physical development (e.g., sitting up, rolling, crawling, or walking); cognitive development (e.g., processing information, learning, problem solving, thinking); communication development (e.g., listening, understanding, speaking); social or emotional development (e.g., interacting, playing, dealing with challenges); adaptive development (e.g., self-help, eating, dressing, adjusting to new situations). The definition of the term "developmental delay" in Part C of the IDEA is broad, allowing each state to specify both the criteria that constitute a developmental delay in each of the aforementioned five developmental areas and the evaluation and assessment procedures to measure children's development in that area. In addition to serving infants and toddlers with developmental delays, states may serve infants and toddlers who are at-risk for experiencing substantial developmental delays if they do not receive early intervention services.