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program to improve the outcomes of children birth to age 3.

Coordinating with early intervention specialists who provide services for infants and toddlers with disabilities under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.). Describe: Nebraska is a "birth mandate" state, meaning that appropriate services to meet the needs of a child with a disability from birth or age of diagnosis is a right of families. The Early Development Network is designed to ensure that young children with disabilities are referred for appropriate evaluation and verification of if a disability exists. Local Planning Region teams, funded through IDEA Part C, are tasked with outreach to families through direct contact with families, and through partnering with community child care providers including providers accepting CCDF Child Care Subsidy. Additionally, the Planning Region Teams and the Regional Early Learning Connection Partnerships are required to work together to ensure that child care providers receive information related to serving infants and toddlers with disabilities.

Developing infant and toddler components within the state/territory's QRIS, including classroom inventories and assessments Describe: Nebraska uses the ITERS 3, the Infant CLASS and the Toddler CLASS, as program quality measurement tools in classrooms participating in Step Up to Quality and in school based infant-toddler classes. Training in the use of these tools is also provided across the state to child care providers and is written into criteria for Step Up to Quality.

Developing infant and toddler components within the state/territory's child care licensing regulations Describe:

Developing infant and toddler components within the early learning and developmental guidelines Describe: Nebraska's ELGs outline of what children from birth to age 5 should know and be able to do.

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