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State Rep. Kara Rochelle
State Rep. Kara Rochelle (D‑Ansonia)’s proposed legislation, “An Act Concerning Access to Information on Early Childhood Interventions,” unanimously passed the state House of Representatives this week and moves to the state Senate.
The bill requires the state’s Office of Early Childhood to create a one-page document listing key developmental milestones for children from ages birth to 5. The information will have to be available for download and/or posted in places it can be seen in child care centers, group child care homes, and family child care homes.
The bill’s goal is to get parents and guardians information as early as possible, which could then help the child get earlier intervention for issues such as autism.
“Signs of autism are often present as early as 18 months of age and early intervention can make a big difference for children on the spectrum.” Rochelle said in a prepared statement. “I was focused on creating a bill that will foster awareness amongst child care providers and parents about early childhood developmental milestones and what to do if a child is struggling to hit milestones. The first step to getting a child help is knowledge.”
“I heard concerns from our local educators that more children must be evaluated for early intervention earlier than kindergarten. It is scientifically shown that the earlier the intervention the better the outcome for children with autism and other developmental delays,” Rochelle said. “Thank you to all my legislative colleagues and advocates who helped this bill move forward.”
Rochelle represents Ansonia and parts of Derby.