Birth to Three Eligibility

The Birth to 3 Program is a statewide program that serves families with children under the age of 3 who have developmental delays or disabilities. An evaluation by your local county Birth to 3 Program will help find if your child is eligible for the program.

Your child’s growth and learning are always changing. The evaluation will only look at your child’s abilities at a point in time to find if your child needs services. Together, the team will assess your child’s strengths, abilities, and needs. You will be a part of the evaluation at every step.

Who is eligible?

Eligibility is based on a diagnosed disability or significant delay in one or more areas of development.

The team will evaluate the child’s ability to:

  • Learn (cognitive development).

  • Move, see and hear (physical/motor development).

  • Communicate and understand other’s communication (speech and language development).

  • Respond to and relate with others (social and emotional development).

  • Eat, dress and care for daily living needs (adaptive development).

Often, skills build on each other. For example, a baby first learns to pull up, then to stand, and then to walk.

Each of those skills is a developmental milestone. Every child develops at their own pace.

However, sometimes a child may not reach a milestone by a certain age. If that happens, supports or services from the Birth to 3 Program could help boost their development.

Eligibility is based on one of these:

  • A developmental delay of at least 25% in one or more areas of development

  • A physician-diagnosed condition with a high probability of developmental delay

  • Atypical (unusual) development that negatively affects your child’s overall development

Use the form below to get in touch with Jackson County Birth to 3 staff