Inclusion Information (Parents)

The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County’s Early Intervention Manager is able to connect families and providers with local resources and help insure the child is in the least restrictive, and most appropriate environment.

The coalition makes available services to child care providers to enhance staff’s knowledge and competence in serving children with disabilities or behavioral challenges. Inclusion services include technical assistance and consultation regarding curriculum and teaching strategies, environmental adaptations, and challenging behavioral issues. Through the knowledge gained, children will benefit from being a part of a quality program.

Parents and providers in search of information about a child’s development can call the Warm Line and speak directly to the Early Intervention Manager about a child’s needs.

Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County Warm Line: (toll-free): (888) 620-9190

State of Florida Warm Line (toll-free): (866) 357-3239

Inclusion - Warm Line

Florida Statute 402.3018 mandates the provision of a toll-free number to provide assistance and consultation, specifically child care personnel, regarding the inclusion of children with disabilities and special health care needs. This number is known as the “Warm Line” and is available to child care centers and family child care homes requesting information relating to the disability and special health care needs of the children they are serving.

Parents and providers in search of information about a child’s development can call the Warm Line and speak directly to the Early Intervention Manager about a child’s needs. 

Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County Warm Line: (888) 620-9190
State of Florida Warm Line (toll-free): (866) 357-3239

New Resources for Parents

At Home Teaching Support from FAU CARD

CARD's Inclusion Narrative About Coronavirus

Local Resources for Inclusion
(Left Side Menu Has Additional Information)

211 of Palm Beach County & Treasure Coast – Special Needs Helpline
Helping children with special needs live better lives by connecting their families with support, answers & resources. The main 211 website also has helpful resources for all families.

Arc of Palm Beach County: First Step to Success
Arc of Palm Beach County's First Step to Success Program, funded by the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Inc., provides in-home services throughout Palm Beach County to families of children between birth and five years of age who demonstrate a mild delay in child development. If you are concerned about your child’s development, please call 561-842-3489 for more information, or visit their website below.

Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) at Florida Atlantic University

Department of Children and Families Child Care Training Information Center
This site offers a search of childcare providers, training resources and licensing information.

Early Steps
Early Steps serves Florida's infants and toddlers’ birth to 36 months with a developmental delay or a condition that places them at risk for developmental delay. Sixteen contracted local Early Steps across the state coordinate with community agencies and other contracted providers for the delivery of needed supports and services. 

Easter Seals South Florida (If Your Child Is Too Young for Child Find)
Provides exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

Family Network on Disabilities of Florida
Gives links to advocacy groups by county and includes other information, including the Parent Education Network (PEN) Project. This program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), is the Parent Training Information (PTI) center for the ten most southern counties of Florida (Lee, Collier, Hendry, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Martin, Charlotte, and the Glades). These PTI services help to ensure that parents of children with the full range of disabilities have the training and information they need to prepare their children for not only school, but to be able to lead productive, independent lives to the fullest extent possible.

Florida Inclusion Network (FIN)
The Florida Inclusion Network (FIN) collaborates with all districts and schools to provide customized services and supports ensuring all students with disabilities have the same educational, social, and future opportunities as their peers.

Florida Relay
Florida Relay is the communication link for people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf/Blind or Speech Impaired. Through Florida Relay, people who use specialized telephone equipment can communicate with people who use standard telephone equipment. These services are free of charge.

To call Florida Relay, dial 7-1-1, or use the following toll free numbers:

• 1-800-955-8771 (TTY)
• 1-800-955-8770 (VOICE)
• 1-877-955-8260 (VCO-Direct)
• 1-800-955-5334 (Spanish)
• 1-877-955-8707 (French Creole) 

HomeSafe – Healthy Beginnings program
Selected by the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County as the exclusive entry agency for newborns to age five and their families. A goal of the Healthy Beginnings program is to provide free screening and assessments to children age 0-5 to identify any developmental delays or behavior concerns.

School District of Palm Beach County: Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) Child Find Program
The Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) provides diagnostic, instructional, and technology support services to district exceptional education programs and families of students with disabilities. Service centers include 19 centers that directly serve school districts in the areas of Child Find, Parent Services, Human Resource Development (HRD), and Technology. In addition, the FDLRS Network also includes 5 Multi-disciplinary Centers who focus on in-depth evaluations and several statewide projects offering specialized services. The Child Find Program, within the School District of Palm Beach County’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resource System, purpose is to discover whether your child has special learning needs, to identify what those needs are, and to provide the programs and services which will best address them.