TRIBAL EARLY START PROGRAM
California Tribal Families Coalition has begun a new initiative that is focused on the health and wellness of our youngest tribal children population who have or are at-risk of having intellectual or developmental disabilities. In December of 2020, California Tribal Families Coalition released the Tribal Early Intervention Report which highlighted the systemic failure to provide outreach, training, early detection and intervention information to tribes and their education and child welfare programs by the California Health and Human Services.
In January 2021, CTFC and the Pala Band of Mission Indians initiated conversations with the California Department of Developmental Services regarding the findings of the Tribal Early Intervention Report and general concerns about the lack of access to early intervention services for tribal children. The California Department of Developmental Services engaged quickly in these discussions and responded by initiating a budget set aside to ensure equal access and targeted outreach to tribal children and families. This funding led to the creation of the Tribal Early Start Outreach Program, a collaboration between CTFC, the California Department of Developmental Disabilities Services, Far Northern Regional Center, San Diego Regional Center, and Kern Regional Center.
The mission of California Tribal Families Coalition Tribal Early Start Outreach Program is to ensure that Regional Centers are providing equal access and services through Early Start to the most vulnerable of our Native American children and families.
CTFC will build on this foundational work in the coming years by:
- Continuing to create opportunities to build relationships between Regional Centers and tribal communities.
- Bringing tribal engagement training to Regional Centers across the state – five RCs per year for the next four years.
- Hosting the California American Indian Developmental Disabilities Symposium
- Providing ongoing training and technical assistance to tribes in accessing early intervention and Regional Center service information to increase access.
- Launching and maintaining a Tribal Look Up interactive webpage that shows tribal contact and service provider information by Regional Center catchment area. This tool can be used by tribes to find which Regional Center serves them, and by Regional Centers to learn which tribes are in their service territory and what services are offered by those tribes.
Click HERE to check out our Tribal/Regional Center Lookup Tool.
WHAT IS
EARLY START?

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Infants and toddlers from birth to age 36 months may be eligible for early intervention services through Early Start if, through documented evaluation and assessment, they meet one of the criteria listed below:
- have a developmental delay of at least 33% in one or more areas of cognitive, communication, social or emotional, adaptive, or physical and motor development including vision and hearing; or
- have an established risk condition of known etiology, with a high probability of resulting in delayed development; or
- be considered at high risk of having a substantial developmental disability due to a combination of biomedical risk factors of which are diagnosed by qualified personnel
California Government Code: Section 95014(a)
California Code of Regulations: Title 17, Chapter 2, Section 52022
To file a complaint directly with the Department of Developmental Services, visit their website here.
MORE RESOURCESÂ
- 2nd Annual California American Indian Symposium on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Materials – September 21, 2023
- 1st Annual California American Indian Disability Symposium Materials – June 15, 2022
- CTFC Workbook – Understanding Behaviors
- CTFC Workbook – A Guide to the Parts of an IEP
- CTFC Report on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Tribal Communities – February 2023