Cuts and changes coming to CO program that provides developmental support to children

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - Big changes are coming for families who receive the state's help for children with developmental needs.

The Early Intervention Colorado (EI) program provides services and support to families with young children who have special education needs.

 A recent memo sent out to care providers revealed that the program is experiencing serious budget shortfalls and forcing them to cut back on the services they offer.

Speech therapist Lindsay Brough says, "These cuts take away my ethical responsibilities to be providing the level of intensity of their therapy to children who need it."

Brough helps El Paso County children at a formative period in their development.

"A child's brain is super malleable until the age of three and so it is key that we get as much intervention into those kids so we can help them and their families be successful," Brough said.

A memo sent from the Colorado Department of Education on Tuesday says budget shortfalls are forcing them to take immediate action.

"Here in El Paso County, we serve over a thousand families at any given time and the proposed cuts and how they are delineating services is going to be extraordinarily impactful on our rural communities where there are less therapists available," Brough said.

According the to EI state team, changes include delaying services to newly eligible children and capping how many times providers can visit a child in a month.

"Some kids might have been receiving 20 hours of therapy a month and now they will only be receiving up to a maximum of 4 hours," Brough said.

In addition, reimbursements for no-shows and gas mileage will no longer be issued and for select providers, the impact could be even worse. "For many contract employees, it could potentially mean the loss of their job and their incomes."

Lindsay says these changes will have far-reaching impacts on children's developmental needs and she questions why the changes are coming down now.

"How come these changes are happening so quickly? Why are they happening? Where where did the funding go? If it was there two weeks ago, why is it not there anymore?" Brough said.

KRDO13 reached out to the state and leaders at EI Colorado. We did not get an answer in time for the airing of this report.