Early Intervention Program

The Birth to Three Program is an early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and/or disabilities. It is a comprehensive, community based, statewide system that promotes a family centered approach to early intervention. It emphasizes family strengths and incorporates informal and community resources. The system ensures cooperative planning between the state of Wisconsin and county's, promotes uniformity of interventions available across the states and involves the education, health, and social service systems.

Individualized Plan

Birth to Three services are individualized to meet each eligible child's needs and support their optimum development. Services are family-centered and designed to assist the family in supporting their child's development. We view the family as the child's greatest resource and work with them to provide opportunities to incorporate the techniques in the child's and families everyday routines. Services are located in the child's natural environment, most often in their home, though it may include day care facilities or other community settings.

Eligibility

The Birth to Three program has different eligibility criteria than most of the other programs for children. In the Birth to Three Program children must have a developmental delay of at least 25% in one or more area(s) as noted through the Birth to Three Evaluation or other records or a diagnosis with a high probability of a developmental delay, or delays in achieving significant milestones.

View the guidelines for developmental milestones online.

Eligibility is not based on income or on income guidelines. There may be a parental fee established for participating in the Birth to Three Program. At this time there are no waiting lists for this program. The program can assess the child's developmental ability to: 

•  Communicate
• Develop relationships
• Express and regulate emotions
• Learn and play
• Move, see, and hear
• Perform basic self-care skills

How to Apply

Contact the Birth to Three Program Coordinator at the county level at 262-238-8200 or 262-284-8200. The Birth to Three Program Coordinator will explain the eligibility requirements and give information about various service providers so the family can make an educated choice.

Referrals to the Birth to Three Program can be made by parents, physicians, relatives, child care providers, other programs that work with families of very young children. Typical Information that is requested at the time of the referral: 

•  Child's name, address, and date of birth
•  Name of parents / caregivers, address, and phone numbers
•  Name of physician
•  Reasons they are concerned about this particular child