Section 500.70  Intake

a)         Upon receiving a referral, regional intake entities shall ensure that evaluation, eligibility determination, assessments in all five developmental domains as set forth in Section 500.75(a)(3), and development of the initial IFSP are completed with the family within 45 calendar days.  The 45-day timeline does not apply for any period when the child or parent is unavailable to complete the initial evaluation, the initial assessments of the child and family, or the initial IFSP meeting due to the exceptional family circumstances that are documented in the child's EI records, or the parent has not provided consent for the initial evaluation or the initial assessment of the child despite documented, repeated attempts to obtain parental consent.  The initial evaluation, the initial assessments (of the child and family), and the initial IFSP meeting should be completed as soon as possible, but not more than 45 days, after the documented exceptional family circumstances no longer exist or parental consent is obtained for the initial evaluation and the initial assessment of the child.  An interim IFSP should be developed, to the extent appropriate pursuant to Section 500.80(h). 

b)         Service coordination, evaluation, assessment, eligibility determination, IFSP development, IFSP review, and IFSP updating, and procedural safeguards shall be provided at no cost to families.

c)         The Service Coordinator shall request appointment of a surrogate parent upon referral and prior to evaluation of a child who would not otherwise have parental representation, as set forth in Section 500.160.

d)         The Service Coordinator shall provide the family with orientation to the Illinois EI Services System, shall inform the child's parents of their rights and shall give 10 days written prior notice whenever the Department or service providers propose or refuse to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or placement of the child or the provision of EI services.

e)         Upon receipt of informed consent from the child's parent, the Service Coordinator shall proceed with initial intake activities that shall include:

1)         Establishment of the child's permanent and electronic record with the regional intake entity;

2)         Completion of Department required intake forms;

3)         Completion of a family-directed assessment of the resources, priorities and concerns of the family and the identification of the supports and services necessary to enhance the family's capacity to meet the developmental needs of the infant or toddler.  The family-directed assessment must be voluntary on the part of each family member participating in the assessment, be based on information obtained through an assessment tool and also through an interview with those family members who elect to participate in the assessment, and include the family's description of its resources, priorities and concerns related to enhancing the child's development.  Unless clearly not feasible to do so, family assessment must be conducted in the native language of the family members being assessed.  The initial family assessment must be conducted within the 45-day timeline if the parent concurs and even if other family members are unavailable. 

4)         Request for existing records regarding the child's need for services; and

5)         Review of existing records to identify whether additional information is needed to determine if the child meets federal and State established eligibility criteria.

f)         The parent shall also be provided with notice regarding the uses and disclosures of personally identifiable information that will be collected and maintained for service delivery, and the rights provided by FERPA with respect to that information.

(Source:  Amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 11086, effective May 12, 2014)