Why do only a few states serve at-risk infants and toddlers?
Because there is no financial incentive for them to do so. States receive a set amount of money from the federal government for early intervention services, no matter how many young children they serve. The amount that states receive depends mostly upon how many young children live in the state. The IDEA does not require states to serve at-risk infants and toddlers. For these reasons, most have elected not to do so. They prefer to use available funds to serve young children who have disabilities, who have delays in development, or who have both.
