Transfer of child from one program to another

Transferring a Child Who is Homeless
As explained in the “Children Who are Homeless” procedure, it is likely that families that are homeless will need to transfer programs more than once. A service coordinator should discuss with the parent how important it is to inform her or him ahead of time of any anticipated change in address. If the parent and child’s address is expected to change to a town that the provider program does not serve, the service coordinator should facilitate the parent’s choice of a Birth to Three program that serves families in their new town. The sending program must send the entire early intervention record to the receiving program. The sending program should retain originals of any records documenting insurance claims for up to six years.
If there are no programs in rotation serving the town of the family’s new address for more than one week, the sending program will contact the Birth to Three Child Find Coordinator who will identify a program for the specific purpose of preventing a gap in service for this homeless child and family. Children who are homeless do have a higher priority status than other children who are transferring programs or waiting for initial assignment to a program. The receiving program will make every effort to review the existing IFSP with the parent, discuss any proposed changes, and write a revised IFSP within two weeks of receipt of the transfer. The transition plan must be discussed and updated at every IFSP review. If there is an increase in service frequency or intensity or if any additional services are added, a new physician’s signature will be necessary before those services can begin. The service coordinator may need to facilitate selection by the parent of a new medical provider, if needed, so that a delay in service provision may be prevented.