TRENTON – In an effort to better align access to early childhood intervention services and childhood developmental milestones, the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee advanced legislation sponsored by Senators Troy Singleton and James Beach that would expand access to New Jersey’s Early Intervention System (NJEIS) to children who are up to five years old from the current limitation of two years of age.

“New Jersey’s early intervention system exists to assist children who have or may have developmental delays as early as possible, but it currently stops providing services too early in childhood development, threatening to leave many children behind,” said Senator Singleton (D-Burlington). “By increasing the ages for eligibility to five years old, these services will assist more children and help ensure that access is guaranteed during the most critical periods of childhood development.”

The bill, S-3140, would expand coverage under NJEIS, which is operated by the Department of Health, to additionally cover children between the ages of three to five. In doing so, the time period under which NJEIS provides services would align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s developmental milestones for early life, thus ensuring that access is not limited before critical developmental milestones are actually reached.

“The first years of a child’s life are critical to development, which is why access to early intervention services can dramatically change the trajectory of a child with a developmental delay,” said Senator Beach (D-Camden/Burlington), “Raising the age for which children are eligible to receive these services will increase opportunities for children to reach developmental milestones and provide solace to countless New Jersey families.”

The legislation was advanced in a unanimous vote.

Original Article