Advocates For Children is gathering signatures for a letter (letter is attached) we are sending to the VESID Committee Chair Regent Tilles and other members about the IEP diploma.  In June 2007, AFC along with over 24 other groups, sent a letter to Deputy Commissioner Cort asking that the name of the IEP diploma be changed to IEP certificate in order to help prevent parents and students from mistakenly believing that the IEP diploma is an actual diploma instead of a certificate of completion.

Early Intervention – Important Information

2010-2011 New York State Early Intervention Budget Proposal

Governor Paterson’s 2010-2011 budget proposal would require parents to pay for EI services for the first time in New York.  Parents who could not document their income would be presumed to fall within the highest income bracket.  If a parent missed one payment, the child would become ineligible for EI services.

Parent fees required:
The proposal would require families with incomes greater than 251% of the federal poverty level to pay a fee on a quarterly basis to participate in EI.  The payments would be pursuant to the following sliding scale based on income:

Percent of Federal     Income for Family           Proposed EI           Proposed EI   
Poverty Level             of Three                           Fee Per Quarter    Fee Per Year
251% to 400%             $46,000 to $73,000          $45                         $180
401% to 600%             $73,000 to $110,000        $90                         $360
$601 to 700%              $110,000 to $128,000      $180                       $720
701% to 800%             $128,000 to $146, 000     $270                       $1080
801% to 900%             $146,000 to $165,000      $360                       $1440
901% to 1000%           $165,000 to $183,000      $450                       $1800
1001% and above        $183,000 and above         $540                       $2160

Parents would have to pay the quarterly fee for each child enrolled in EI unless they have 4 or more children, in which case they would pay the fee charged for parents who have 3 children.

Proof of income required:
The legislation would require parents to provide proof of income.  Any parent who did not provide the documentation necessary to determine income would be presumed to fall within the highest income bracket.  This provision would impede the eligibility of children of undocumented immigrants, children whose families are homeless, and children who are in foster care who may not be able to provide proof of parental income.

Termination from program after one missed payment:
If a parent missed one payment, services would terminate and the child would become ineligible for EI.  Under the legislation, the parent would be sent a bill and a reminder notice 30 days before the due date.  If the parent did not pay within 15 days of the due date, the parent would receive another notice stating that failure to pay the fee within the next 15 days shall result in termination of services and loss of eligibility for the program.  If the parent did not pay within 30 days of the due date, the child would lose eligibility and services.  The legislation does not state what a family would need to do to re-enroll in EI.

This past July the Regents VESID committee held a meeting where they discussed the IEP diploma.  Deputy Commissioner Cort and Pat Geary presented a policy discussion memo at the meeting where they outlined several issues for the VESID committee to consider, including changing the name of the IEP diploma (the policy memo is available here: http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2008Meetings/July2008/0708vesidd2.htm).  The Regents who were present at the meeting seemed very open to the idea of changing the name and many expressed similar concerns to the ones we raised in our initial letter.  At the end of the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Cort said that the VESID office would conduct focus groups and would investigate the issue further and come back to the Regents with recommendations.  We have not received a timeline regarding when the focus groups will take place and the working group decided that we should send a letter to the VESID Committee requesting a meeting with the members, and urging the committee to act in a more swift manner.   

If your have any questions, please contact Christie Hill cnhill@advocatesforchildren.org.  

News

Letter to Regents VESID Committee (Tilles - Oct 2008) Click here

News: Emergency special education regulations adopted by the Commissioner. Click here for a copy of the new regulations.

2009: VESID issues revised Procedural Safeguard Notice for Parents