February 13, 2008

Dear Providers,

The Office for Special Education Programs (OSEP) is requiring all states to document the progress of Part C enrollees from the time of enrollment until they exit the program. Therefore, Indiana First Steps has asked that we develop a methodology for providing the state with that data using the AEPS.

In order to provide this documentation, our LPCC, the North East Indiana Coordinating Council, is requesting that you complete a Closing Summary for each child exiting the program. We recognize that you have many reporting requirements, but we hope you agree that these data sets are an important tool for helping us all understand the impact we are having on the lives of children and families through the team’s good efforts.

We are requesting that you implement the following protocol when a child exits the program. The time requirements are necessary for valid data to be sent to the federal government within their specified guidelines.

For the child exiting at 36 months:
• We request that you as the Provider complete the Closing Summary in its entirety and forward it to the lead EDT representative two weeks prior to the child’s third birthday.

For the child exiting the system prior to their third birthday:
• We request that you as the Provider complete the Closing Summary in its entirety and forward it to the lead EDT representative two weeks prior to the child’s exit date.

For the child who has been in the system over 3 months where the team loses contact with the family and decides to close the record:
• We request that you as the Provider complete the Closing Summary in its entirety, answering based on the last time you saw the child. The form is then forwarded to the lead EDT representative within one week of team’s decision to close the case.

For the child who is in the system for 3 months or less:
• You as the Provider do not need to complete the Closing Summary.

On behalf of all the children and families that we are privileged to serve, we thank you for providing this vital information in a timely fashion.

Sincerely,

North East Indiana Coordinating Council