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Speech therapy, physical therapy, or other services for some Colorado babies and toddlers with developmental delays could be pared back in less than a week as officials grapple with a $4 million funding shortfall in the state’s Early Intervention program.
Impending cuts to the $87 million program, which evaluates and serves around 11,000 children from birth to 3 years old each month, prompted tears, panic, and outrage among some parents and therapists.
Celia Saravia, a Westminster mother whose 2-year-old daughter has Down Syndrome, said she commiserated on Wednesday morning with one of the three therapists who visits her home weekly through the Early Intervention program.
“We had a little cry about it because it’s just so sad,” she said.
Leaders from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood announced the cuts in a letter to Early Intervention providers around the state Tuesday. The cost-cutting measures take effect March 3 and will limit children to four hours of therapy a month. Some children, like Saravia’s daughter, get triple that amount.
The changes could also prevent children who are on Medicaid, a health insurance program for low-income people, from receiving certain therapies and create longer wait times before eligible children start receiving therapy.
State officials said during a Wednesday morning call with early childhood advocates that the abrupt cuts are needed to address projected cost overruns caused, in part, by a big increase in the number of children eligible for Early Intervention services. In addition, some federal COVID stimulus funding used for the program recently ran out and fewer children are eligible for Medicaid, which covers some Early Intervention costs.
By press time, state officials did not provide additional details about the number of young children who currently get more than one hour of weekly therapy through the program.
Besides Medicaid, funding for the Early Intervention program comes from the federal government, the state government, and private health insurance. Services range from speech and physical therapy to vision, audiology, and psychological services. Experts say providing therapies that help young children catch up early in their lives can prevent the need for more intensive and costly help later on.
Josh Rael, executive director of the nonprofit Alliance, which supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said by email that his group is in talks with the Department of Early Childhood to find “other program cost-savings in hopes of mitigating the worst impacts on low-income families.”
“We understand that Colorado’s budget environment is dire but are also mindful that cutting [Early Intervention] services could produce additional state expenditures down the road,” he said.
Jessica Richardson, the mother of two children who receive Early Intervention Services, said she’s feeling terrified, sad, and angry about the cuts.
She’s most worried about her 11-month-old son, who has Down Syndrome and receives three hours of services a week through Early Intervention — speech, physical, and occupational therapy.
She wonders if she will have to choose which hour of therapy is most important for him as the cuts take effect.
“Is it most important for him to be able to learn how to move like other kids … Is it most important for him to learn how to eat? Is it most important for him to learn how to communicate?” she said.
“I think him developing in all ways is important, not just in some ways, or whatever is most fiscally appropriate for the state,” she said.
Saravia’s daughter started getting weekly home visits from a physical therapist to help with weak abdominal muscles when she was about six months old. Eventually, a speech therapist and occupational therapist started making visits too.
Saravia said the therapists have been a lifeline for her and her daughter, teaching the toddler skills like how to climb the steep stairs in their townhome, balance on one foot to put pants on, and communicate with others using sign language or spoken words.
In March, Saravia’s daughter will turn 3 — the age when Early Intervention services have always stopped and different state services pick up. Although the state cuts will only affect the last few weeks of the little girl’s Early Intervention services, Saravia said it’s upsetting to think about the bullet they dodged.
“Had I lost that earlier, my daughter wouldn’t be nearly as advanced as she is,” she said. “Because all three [therapists] every week really just have an impact for her social development, for her mental development. All of it.”
Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.
