Early intervention service coordination policies: National policy infrastructure. Topics in Early Childhood

Policy Infrastructure Effective implementation of service coordination in early intervention, as man-dated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, remains a challenge formost states. The present study provides a better understanding of the various as-pects of the policy infrastructure that undergird service coordination across the United States. Data from a national survey of all state Part C coordinators contained critical variables that are used to describe three dimension of the policy infrastructure—re-sponsibilities of the service coordinator, the document used to guide service coordina-tion (Individualized Family Service Plan), and policies that facilitate a comprehensive and interagency coordinated service system. The results indicated that in general, most states do not have a sufficient policy infrastructure to support the implementation of effective service coordination