Last year, our Early Intervention (EI) program served more than 1,400 children age birth to three, helping them meet significant developmental milestones and decreasing their odds of needing special education services in school. Early Intervention services are designed to enable young children who have disabilities or developmental delays to be active, independent and successful participants in a variety of settings—in their homes, in child care, in preschool programs and in their communities.
There are also benefits to the community at large. According to Washington State’s Early Support for Infants and Toddlers program (ESIT) every dollar invested in early childhood programs results in $4 to $9 in reduced future costs for special education, welfare, crime costs and increased tax revenues.
Early Intervention services work! And there’s a growing need for them in our community. In response, in 2017 CTC is opening a fourth center in Black Diamond, WA – a home base for a new team of EI therapists, teachers and Family Resources Coordinators to work with families in Black Diamond, Covington, Enumclaw, Maple Valley, and Ravensdale. This center, located in what has become a rapidly growing community, will help us deliver more services to more children. And we’ll be able to do so more efficiently and effectively.