Governor’s FY25 Budget Proposal Article 9, Section 5
H-7334 (Cotter) & S-2359 (Valverde)
H-7123 (Diaz) & S-2344 (DiMario)
Rhode Island’s Early Intervention program provides special education services to infants and toddlers who have developmental delays or disabilities. Early Intervention is required under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Researchers have found that about one-third of infants and toddlers who received high-quality Early Intervention services no longer had a developmental delay, disability, or special education need in kindergarten.
Rhode Island’s Early Intervention program has been experiencing a major financial and staffing crisis that is limiting access for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities. Medicaid rates for Rhode Island Early Intervention programs were frozen from 2002-2009 when they were then cut by 3%. Rates were frozen at the reduced amount from 2009 until the General Assembly enacted a 45% rate increase and allocated temporary ARPA funding to Early Intervention in 2022. In November 2021, a statewide waiting list for Early Intervention was established. As of February 2024, there were 623 infants and toddlers who had been waiting more than 45 days for services.