Developmental services for young children in foster care: Assessment and service delivery

High rates of developmental delay in children in foster care make it important for the foster care system to provide early identification of developmental issues and facilitate intervention. This investigation examined the degree to which child welfare agencies encourage policies to assess children for developmental delay and link children to intervention agencies. Results indicate that half of counties studied have comprehensive developmental screening policies and two-thirds refer children for intervention. Counties with comprehensive policies were more likely to evaluate children, utilize specialists for periodic screening, refer to early intervention agencies and engage in joint service planning.