Standards and Licensure
States and state agencies use a variety of mechanisms to indicate that providers of services to young children and their families are appropriately qualified. These include state certification, licensure, and credentialing.
Overview
In general, state certification is provided by state Departments of Education to teachers and related service providers. This certification should be differentiated from some professions' national certification. For example, speech-language pathologists and audiologists may be certified by ASHA.
States may also control the practice of some professions using state licensure, with regulations established by the state's legislature. Support personnel may be regulated by licensure or through registration, which typically involves fewer controls.
In addition, states may establish a separate credentialing process to govern the provision of services to a specific group, such as young children with disabilities and their families. For example, some states have established a set of competencies for early interventionists or services coordinators which must be met by all those who deliver such services, regardless of certification or licensing standards they may have met within their professional roles and disciplines.
In a similar fashion, states may have specific credentials for those who deliver services to children with specific disabilities, such as autism. These credentials typically require additional coursework or professional experience.
Programs may also need to be credentialed. Pre-service provider training programs may have certification requirements that assure consumers that their graduates are appropriately qualified. Agencies and programs that deliver services to children with disabilities and their families may also need to meet accreditation standards.
See also: Service Coordination Under Part C
State Examples
- Arkansas Division of Development Disabilities Services Certification Standards for Early Intervention Services (2007)
- Connecticut Birth to Three Professional Development (2008)
- Connecticut Personnel Standards (2019)
- Hawaii IDEA Part C Early Intervention Policies and Procedures (2015)
- Indiana First Steps Policy Manual (2018)
- New Jersey Department of Health Provider Standards
- New Jersey Department of Health Early Intervention System (Part C) Provider Competency Standards (2017)