Nurturing Every Start Coalition
Support increased funding for
The Birth to 3 Program.
The Birth to 3 Program supports all eligible children and has seen a remarkable 19% increase in enrollment across Wisconsin in recent years. Yet, as demand grows, state and federal funding has stagnated, highlighting a critical disconnect that jeopardizes the support our infants and toddlers desperately need.
13,200
Children served annually in the
state of Wisconsin
47%
Of funding comes from counties
creating an unsustainable burden
Millions
Early intervention saves millions in special education and healthcare costs
$10M
Annual increase of $10M will stabilize the system.
The Critical Window:
What is Birth to 3?
Overview of the Birth to 3 Early Intervention Program
Birth to 3 provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers (ages 0–3) with development delays or disabilities. These services are designed to support children’s growth and development while equipping families with the tools they need to help their child thrive. The program is an entitlement meaning that all eligible children can and will be served even if adequate state and federal dollars are not sufficient to support these services. This places a significant financial burden on Wisconsin counties.
Services Provide:
Special Education
Therapy
Service Coordination
Primary Types of Birth to 3 Services
Service Coordination – assists families with accessing Birth to 3 services by scheduling evaluations and creating service plans.
Occupational Therapy (OT) – helps children build skills so that they can participate in their daily routines and activities.
Physical Therapy (PT) – these services assist a child in developing the physical capability to move, play and participate in their daily activities and helps reduce pain and prevent/minimize physical disabilities.
Speech Therapy (ST) and Language Services – builds language development and strengthens muscles to assist a child in the formation of speech.
Special Education – supports a child’s learning and development to help them grow, learn, play, and build relationships with others.
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Nurturing Every Start Coalition
Mission Statement:
To champion access to high-quality early intervention services for every eligible Wisconsin infant and toddler, ensuring their future success while fostering the long-term sustainability of the Birth to 3 Program through collaborative partnerships.
Birth to 3 Sustainability Report:
This report details recommendations developed by four workgroups addressing Medicaid/private insurance reimbursement, the Birth to 3 funding formula, data/research, and advocacy/communications. Read the report.
Statewide Coaliation Members:
Curative Care Network
Dane County Birth to 3
HEAR Wisconsin
La Crosse County Birth to 3
Milwaukee Department of Health and Human Services
Penfield Children's Center
St. Francis Children’s Center
Vision Forward
Challenges Facing the Program
Flat state funding despite rising demand
Over the last few years, statewide enrollment increased by 19%. Despite this growing demand, state/federal funding to counties has remained relatively unchanged at around $12.7 million annually. This is not sufficient to meet the rising costs associated with increased enrollments and service needs.
Unstable and decreasing Medicaid/private insurance reimbursements.
Over the last several years, private insurance reimbursement has declined while Medicaid reimbursement has been inconsistent and has not kept pace with rising costs.
Increasing financial burden on counties. The statewide $49 million Birth to 3 budget is heavily reliant on county contributions in levy and community aids, which together cover 47% of the total budget.
This situation has served to increase the financial burden on counties to cover the cost of services. In fact, Wisconsin is only one of three states (Ohio and Maryland are the other two) in which Birth to 3 services are funded primarily at the local level. Additional state funding is needed to equalize availability of services across counties.
Shrinking provider network.
The program relies on a combination of county staff as well as providers that can offer the specialized array of Birth to 3 services. Given the flat funding, provider rates have not increased, which impacts the ability to retain qualified Birth to 3 staff and offer training and specialized services. The declining number of providers limits access to care and creates barriers for families needing timely services. Additional funding is needed to keep up with growing caseloads and give rate increases to service providers.
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