Special Education-Grants for Infants and Families with Disabilities (84.181)

Program

84.181 Special Education-Grants for Infants and Families with Disabilities

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Education
Office: Office Of Special Education And Rehabilitative Services

Authorization

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1431-1444, Part C.

Program Number

84.181

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide grants to States to assist them to implement and maintain a Statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system to make available early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

Types of Assistance

FORMULA GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds are used to assist States in implementing and maintaining their Statewide systems of early intervention services. Funding may also be used to provide direct services for eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities aged birth through 2 and their families that are not otherwise provided by other public or private sources, to expand and improve services for infants and toddlers with disabilities that are otherwise available and to provide a free appropriate public education, in accordance with Part B of IDEA, to children with disabilities from their third birthday to the beginning of the following school year. States also have the discretion to provide services to infants and toddlers who are at risk of having substantial developmental delays if they do not receive appropriate early intervention services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 amended IDEA to allow states, at their discretion, to continue to serve children with disabilities under this program beyond age 2 until the children enter or are eligible to enter kindergarten or elementary school, if the children are otherwise eligible for services under the Preschool Grants Program (84.173), and previously received services under the Part C program.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

The 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Secretary of the Interior and the following jurisdictions: Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Infants and toddlers with disabilities aged birth through 2 and their families will benefit.

Credentials/Documentation

No State or jurisdiction may receive a grant unless the Secretary has approved the application and statement of assurances for that State. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Specific application procedures are provided in the application form for the program. The State lead agencies, the applicants for this program, are designated by the Governor.

Award Procedure

Once the State application is approved, a grant award representing the total State allocation is forwarded to the State lead agency. This is a forward funded program, in which funds become available for obligation on July 1 of the fiscal year for which they are appropriated and remain available for 15 months through September of the following year.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Within to 90 days.

Appeals

The Department may not disapprove an application unless the Department determines, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, that the application, including the statement of assurances, fails to comply with the requirements of Section 637.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching Requirements: Awards are based on each applicant's proportionate share of children, aged birth through two years, in the general population, based on the most recent satisfactory data available from the United States Bureau of the Census. No State may receive less than 0.5 percent of the funds available for all States. The Department of Interior receives 1.25 percent of the amount available to States. The Outlying Areas receive up to 1 percent of the funds appropriated.

This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grants are issued each year. The Federal obligation period is a 15-month period from July 1 through September 30 of the following fiscal year. State and local education agencies have an additional 12-month period to obligate their funds. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Electronic transfer.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

An annual report to the Governor and to the Secretary by the State Interagency Coordinating Council on the status of early intervention programs operated within the State as required under Section 641(e)(1)(D) of the Act, and other information that the Secretary may require, including information required under Section 618 of the Act. Annual State Performance Plans and Annual Performance Reports are submitted to the Department of Education by the lead agency on an annual basis. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is required.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

As required by EDGAR for State administered programs (34 CFR 76.730-731). Generally, the State and its contractors must retain records related to grant funds and compliance for a period of 5-years.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In FY 2008, approximately 321,894 infants and toddlers with disabilities are expected to be served. Fiscal Year 2009: Est. 388,000. Fiscal Year 2010: Est. 354,900.

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-0300-0-1-501.

Obligations

(Formula Grants) FY 08 $435,653,802; FY 09 est $439,427,000; FY 10 est $439,427,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

For 2010, the range of awards is expected to be between $2,153,000 and $53,560,000; the average award is expected to be $8,188,000.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Final regulations were published in the Federal Register on June 1, 1988, at CFR Part 303.

Related Programs

84.027 Special Education_Grants to States; 84.173 Special Education_Preschool Grants; 84.392 Special Education - Preschool Grants, Recovery Act ; 84.393 84.393 Special Education - Grants for Infants and Families, Recovery Act; 93.600 Head Start

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Ruth Ryder, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Special Education Programs, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W, Washington, District of Columbia 20202 Email: Ruth.Ryder@ed.gov Phone: (202) 245-7629.

Web Site Address

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/programs.html.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: Funds are used to implement and maintain statewide systems of early intervention services, provide direct services that are not otherwise provided by other public or private sources, and to expand or improve services that are otherwise available. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The applicants eligible to participate in the program qualify based on an approved application under Part C of the IDEA.