(1) The Legislature finds that the high-risk and disabled newborn infants in this state need in-hospital and outpatient developmental evaluation and intervention and that their families need training and support services. The Legislature further finds that there is an identifiable and increasing number of infants who need developmental evaluation and intervention and family support due to the fact that increased numbers of low-birthweight and sick full-term newborn infants are now surviving because of the advances in neonatal intensive care medicine; increased numbers of medically involved infants are remaining inappropriately in hospitals because their parents lack the confidence or skills to care for these infants without support; and increased numbers of infants are at risk due to parent risk factors, such as substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and other high-risk conditions.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish developmental evaluation and intervention services at all hospitals providing Level II or Level III neonatal intensive care services, in order that families with high-risk or disabled infants may gain the services and skills they need to support their infants.
(3) It is the intent of the Legislature that a methodology be developed to integrate information on infants with potentially disabling conditions with other early intervention programs, including Part C of Pub. L. No. 105-17 and the Healthy Start program.
