Family Centered Planning and the IFSP
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Introduction
At its core, developing and implementing a family centered plan is about providing services and supports that are individualized and flexible over time, are built on strengths and needs of the child and the family, reflect priorities and concerns of the family, and respect the family’s preferences and choices. Family centered planning is an approach to determining, planning for and working toward the preferred future of a child. It provides a framework for making decisions and takes into account a variety of factors that affect a child’s life.
The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Family centered planning is used to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for every child birth to 3 years of age who receives Early Start services from Lanterman. A child’s initial IFSP is completed within 45 calendar days of when the referral is made to the Regional Center. The plan is developed by a planning team including the family and the service coordinator, and may include other people who provide the child or family with support and services.
The IFSP identifies and documents the family’s desired outcomes and states clearly how the team will work toward achieving these outcomes and how any health or safety issues will be addressed. It includes a statement of the infant’s or toddler’s present levels of physical development, including vision, hearing and health status; and cognitive, communication, social, emotional and adaptive development. The IFSP also includes:
- A statement of the family’s concerns, priorities and resources related to meeting the special developmental needs of their child.
- A statement of the major outcomes to be achieved for the child.
- A schedule of all services and supports, including the type and amount of services and supports, who will provide them, whether they will be provided in natural environments, and an explanation if a service is not provided in a natural environment.
- Criteria, procedures and timelines for determining the degree to which progress is being made and whether changes to the plan are necessary.
- Steps to be taken to ensure the child’s smooth transition out of Early Start at age 3.
Preparing for the IFSP Meeting
Effective planning requires your service coordinator to take the time to learn what is important to your family and to ensure that any issues of health and safety are carefully considered. In preparation for the IFSP meeting, your service coordinator will spend time getting to know your family’s unique situation by reviewing your child’s record, assessments and recommendations from service providers, and progress reports. He or she will also begin development of the health status review and IFSP documentation that will be completed at the meeting.
You, too, should prepare for this meeting by thinking about your child’s strengths and needs, your concerns and the hopes and dreams you have for your child. Identify the knowledge and strengths that you possess that may help your child take steps toward achieving desired outcomes. Also think about what types of training or additional knowledge you may need to help support your child, as well as what professional services or supports your child may need to achieve desired outcomes. Additionally, you should bring with you information about personal, financial and other resources, such as private insurance, that are available to you and your child.
What Happens at an IFSP Meeting
Family centered planning meetings work best when:
- They are held in a place where everyone feels comfortable.
- Everyone knows the meeting may last a while; typically from one to two hours.
- Someone, usually the service coordinator, acts as the team facilitator.
- The needs of the child and the preferences of the family are discussed and presented along with other information needed to make choices about desired outcomes.
- All members of the planning team are equally respected and are given a chance to speak during the meeting.
The steps below are typically followed as the planning team develops the IFSP:
- Discuss the child’s needs.
- Come to agreement on the desired outcomes and how progress will be measured.
- Identify and discuss the kinds of supports needed to reach desired outcomes.
- Develop the plan document that includes:
- Desired outcomes.
- Kinds of services and supports the child needs.
- Who will provide each service and support, the amount and frequency to be provided, when it will begin and who will pay for it.
- How the services and supports will help the child reach the desired outcome.
- How to evaluate the progress the child is making toward the outcomes.
Examples of IFSP Outcomes and Criteria
Following are examples of IFSP outcomes and criteria that describe how the team will know whether progress is being made.
Outcome 1: Benjamin will communicate his wants and needs in a clear way.
Criteria (How will we know if we are making progress?):
- Benjamin will point to body parts and common objects and accurately name them.
- Benjamin will use single words to express his wants and needs consistently.
- Benjamin will use two- to three-word phrases to communicate his wants and needs consistently.
Outcome 2: Isabella will play with other children her own age.
Criteria (How will we know if we are making progress?):
- Isabella will initiate interaction with other children her own age.
- Isabella will take turns with other children in play settings.
- Isabella will share her toys with other children without being asked.
Outcome 3: Mateo will improve his motor skills to a level appropriate for his age.
Criteria (How will we know if we are making progress?):
- Mateo will walk without support.
- Mateo will ride a tricycle.
- Mateo will catch a large ball.
Implementing the IFSP
Once it is developed and signed by the family, or the family’s legal representative, and Lanterman’s representative, the IFSP document becomes a legally binding document. For this reason, it is very important that the document accurately reflects the agreements that are made by the people at the planning meeting and others involved in the planning process.
There may be times when the IFSP team is unable to agree at the meeting about a particular outcome, service or support that is to be included in the IFSP. A disagreement about one part of a plan, such as a specific service, does not prevent the Regional Center from implementing other parts of the plan on which the family and Regional Center do agree.
We have found that many issues that cause delay can be resolved in a timely way over the phone – generally with the receipt of additional information. If this is not possible, however, an additional planning meeting can be held.
Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
At least every three months, the service coordinator reviews with the family the child’s progress in achieving the outcomes identified in the IFSP and discusses the need for any changes to the plan. Once the Regional Center and the family have agreed on changes, the service coordinator writes a plan amendment and the parents indicate their agreement by signing the amendment. The service coordinator is required to complete an amendment within 15 days.
FAQ
Get Answers
Why is it important for my service coordinator to visit me in my home?
Many of the issues discussed at a meeting between a family and service coordinator are personal and private, and it is difficult to maintain a desired level of privacy and confidentiality when these matters are discussed in a public setting, such as a coffee shop or restaurant. In addition, it is essential for service coordinators to be familiar with a child’s home situation so they can make the appropriate recommendations, especially in regards to in-home supports. The better your service coordinator knows your family, the better he or she will be able to support you.
Why are my child’s services and supports different from those received by other children?
Each child’s IFSP is based on individual needs and preferences. Because of this, your child’s goals and objectives will be different from those of other children. The services and supports needed to achieve the goals for your child may also differ from those of other children, even if the other children have similar desired outcomes.
What is required to maintain active status?
A child’s status with Lanterman remains active as long as your child is receiving services, including service coordination and maintaining a current IFSP.
A child’s status becomes inactive when the family chooses to no longer receive services from the Regional Center and asks for the status to be changed, or when the Center loses touch with the family.
For this reason, it is important that families keep Lanterman informed of their current address. If we are unable to contact a family by mail and phone, we visit the last known address. If these attempts fail, we designate the child’s status as inactive. The family may ask for the case to be reactivated at any time.