Target Setting Guide: Indicator C6

Indicator-specific guidance is provided separately for results indicators where target setting is required, including C6-Child Find Birth to Three. There are eight sections that support target setting for this indicator. This indicator specific guidance is intended to be used as a companion to the general guidance.

Indicator C6: Child Find Birth to 3

Topic Guidance
I. Indicator Description Percent of infants and toddlers birth to 3 with IFSPs.
This indicator reports on the percentage of children receiving IFSP services on the state-determined child count date as compared to the number of children in the state who are birth to 3 years old.
The data reported in this indicator should be consistent with the state’s reported 618 data reported in Table 1 in the previous April. If not, states need to explain why. Sampling from the state’s 618 data is not allowed.
The performance data for this indicator are pre-populated into the SPP/APR platform in the fall before each February submission. These data are reported annually by each state under section 618 of the IDEA (IDEA Part C Child Count and Settings).
II. Federal Indicator Changes States are no longer required to report how the state’s data for this indicator compare to national data for this indicator.
III. State Indicator Specific Changes
  • Has the state changed the Part C eligibility criteria in the last several years? If so, has the definition been made more or less restrictive?
  • Does the state intend to change the Part C eligibility criteria in the next several years? If so, will the definition be made more or less restrictive?
  • If changes have been or will be made in the eligibility definition, what impact (if any) should these changes have on the targets for this indicator?
IV. State Initiatives Related to this Indicator
  • What state initiatives have been and/or are being implemented to ensure children are located, identified, and evaluated as necessary to meet the requirements of Part C?
  • Are developmental screening programs in place in the state?
    • Are these in physicians’ practices or public health clinics? In child care?
    • If screening programs are in place, how have these efforts affected the referrals to Part C?
  • Does the state have any current initiatives to increase the number of children referred and found eligible for the Part C program?
  • Does the state have any current accountability efforts based on concerns about the accuracy of eligibility determinations?
  • What has been or is the expected impact of any of these efforts?
    • How long will it take to see the expected impact?
  • Are the initiatives or efforts statewide?
    • If not, will the efforts become statewide and, if so, how long will it take to implement statewide?
  • What impact (if any) should these efforts have on the targets for this indicator?
V. Data to Consider Data to have available for consideration when setting targets:
  • Performance data in current baseline year
  • State performance data on C6 for the last 3–5 years (single day and cumulative), disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, and age of child
  • Local/regional/program performance data on C6, disaggregated by race/ethnicity and gender in the locality/region/program
  • C6 targets from the last 3–5 years
  • 618 child-count data submitted in the previous April (single day and cumulative)
  • 3–5 years of national population data on children B–3
  • 3–5 years of state population data on children B–3, disaggregated by race/ethnicity and gender
  • 3–5 years of Annual ITCA Child Count reports
  • Information on dates and details of any relevant changes in how services have been delivered in the past year or two, based on any state emergencies such as weather or health, including pandemics
  • Other information that may have contributed to the number of children who are receiving services statewide or from a specific regional or community
VI. Indicator Specific Data Quality Issues The required data collection measurement and reporting for this indicator is established through the IDEA section 618 process and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
VII. Indicator Specific Analyses
  • Have there been increases or decreases in the state’s birth rate? Are changes expected in the birth rate in the next several years?
  • Is the performance for this indicator stable across the state, or are there areas with much higher or lower rates of performance?
  • Are all population groups proportionately represented in the data for this indicator?

      • Are any groups of infants and toddlers over-identified or under-identified?

  • Has the state met its previous targets for the indicator?
    • If so, is the same level of incremental change appropriate for setting the new targets?
    • If not, what factor(s) have served as barriers to prior efforts?
    • Has further data analysis to identify underlying issues been completed?
  • Are there differences in how eligibility determination decisions are made across the state?
    • If so, what is the impact on early identification (e.g., variance in how multidisciplinary teams respond to referrals for children with established conditions vs. developmental delays; differences in the extent to which informed clinical opinion is used across the state)?
  • What do available referral data suggest about which sources are identifying the most children who become eligible for Part C? About the fewest children identified? Are some referral sources identifying more children in certain communities in the state? Are some referral sources not identifying children as the rate expected? What targets are suggested based on available data about the results of eligibility decisions based on referral source?
  • If available, do the data on parent decline of evaluation and/or parent decisions related to accepting/declining services inform the target-setting process? When disaggregated by community, race/ethnicity, and other demographics, do these data inform target-setting?
  • If available, do data on parent decline of evaluation and parent decisions related to accepting/declining services disaggregated by region/locality/program inform this discussion?
  • Has the state changed its eligibility criteria since the last targets were set?
    • If so, were the targets adjusted to accommodate this change?
    • If not, should the new targets factor in this change?
    • If not, is a change in eligibility criteria anticipated during the period covered by the new SPP?
    • Was the change in eligibility affected by state financial implications?
      • If so, will changes in the state’s financial climate lead to another change in eligibility?
VIII. Indicator Specific Resources Meaningful Differences Calculator for Child Find: This Excel-based calculator allows states to make several comparisons related to the percentage of infants and toddlers served: State percentage compared to state target, local program percentage compared to state target, and year-to-year comparisons of the state percentages. It also computes confidence intervals to determines whether the difference between the two numbers is large enough to be considered meaningful (i.e., statistically significant).
Part C Child Find Funnel Chart Tool: The Part C Child Find Funnel Chart Tool is an Excel-based analytic tool for displaying data about infants and toddlers at each step of the Part C process, from referral through exit, for a set of infants and toddlers referred within a specified time span. State or local Part C programs may use this tool to generate a funnel chart that allows for easy visualization of the data.
U.S. Census
Easy Access to Juvenile Populations (EZAPOP): Easy Access to Juvenile Populations (EZAPOP) provides access to National, State, and County level population data detailed by age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Users can create detailed population profiles for a single jurisdiction or create State Comparison or County Comparison tables.
Kids Count from the Annie E. Casey Foundation
U.S. Department of Education: Includes national data related to this indicator and others.
Annual ITCA Child Count reports

Published June 2021.