Lack of coordination of services for young children with handicaps and their families at the local level and variations in eligibility requirements and population definitions have been identified as major areas of concerns for planners, providers, and consumers. Data on interagency identification, referral, and services to young at-risk and handicapped children and their families over an 8-year period in a community are presented. Results indicate that a central referral system facilitates utilization of data for decision making, interagency planning, and monitoring/evaluating services for children and families.
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