Infant & Toddler

Connection of Virginia

December 2025



PART C UPDATES

Message of Thanks

from the State Early Intervention Office

Dear Local System Managers, Early intervention Practitioners and Other Stakeholders:

As we near the end of 2025, we want to thank all of you for playing an important role in Virginia’s early intervention system!

Even when there are uncertainties, workforce or fiscal challenges and/or changes in processes or practices, you continue to show up for Virginia’s infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. You recognize how important this work is, and we hope you know how important you are to this work. You are making a difference every day! We appreciate your commitment to supporting positive outcomes for the children and families we serve and look forward to continuing this work together in 2026.

Many thanks,

State Part C Staff – Anne, April, Ariel, Brenda, Keishia, Kyla, Richard, Sarah, Telisha and Terri

TRAC-IT

A package of TRAC-IT enhancements will be released on December 15^th. We have planned two one-hour training sessions to prepare TRAC-IT users for these enhancements. Please see the descriptions and registration links below. The second session will be the one that is applicable to all TRAC-IT users, while the first is only relevant to a few roles. Each session will be recorded and posted to our website following the training.

Session 1: TRAC-IT Reporting Updates (12/9, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM)

·       Audience: Local System Managers, Program Directors, Personnel roles

·       Topics:

• New Communication Log extract
• Update to the ODU Survey extract
• Monitoring Ongoing Services report
• Update to Billing Extract Services extract (support Not Billable Notes)
• New Deleted Contact Note extract
• New Contact Note Audit extract
• New fields added to the Child Count and Settings by Age report (Medicaid & Service Coordinator)
• Timeliness of Services available to Provider Agencies
• Updates to provider/Org TIN and changes to Provider Extract
• Add Active Period parameters to Provider Extract

Registration Link: TRAC-IT Reporting Updates

Session 2: TRAC-IT Task Updates (12/11, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM)

·       Audience: All TRAC-IT Users

·       Topics:

• New tasks - ODU Survey Recipient task, Permission for Telehealth/Permission for Texting, Assignment of Benefits
• Task updates - Contact notes (creation of communication logs, non-billable check box); Intake task (ODU Survey recipient); Referral task reasons; IFSP task (information retained when canceled, end dating short term goals); Discharge warning when VDOE is blank and reason is compliant

·       

Registration Link:  TRAC-IT Task Updates 

State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP)

As we wrap up our fourth year implementing our current SSIP, focused on positive social-emotional skills and social relationships, we want to highlight some of our 2025 accomplishments:

• Held a full-day, in-person working session with 2 representatives from each local system to develop local implementation plans supporting use of the Pyramid Model Framework statewide.
• Provided two 3-hour workshops on aspects of the Pyramid Model Framework;
• Developed and released a Preventing Suspension and Expulsion package with materials and resources for childcare providers and directors, physicians, families and EI practitioners and held a related two-part webinar series;
• Delivered new social media campaigns on the Pyramid Model Framework and social emotional development; 
• Launched a new video series, HeartWired, that explores key aspects of social-emotional development through expert interviews, real-life interactions, and practical insights; and
• Supported local system managers through a monthly Reflective Leadership group.

The State Leadership Team met in November to review specific progress on each SSIP activity and evaluate whether revisions to the plan are needed. The leadership team determined that we are on a good course and should continue with planned activities. A few new activities were added as well. State Leadership Team meeting notes are posted on our website.

State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR)

Each state must submit to the U.S. Department of Education a State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) that specifies our annual performance on a set of federally required indicators. The next SPP/APR is due to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on February 2, 2026. A draft of this year’s report will be available by mid-December for your review in the “Supervision and Monitoring” section of our website under Public Reporting. The SPP/APR data will be discussed with the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council prior to posting it, and we will be accepting any additional written comments through December 31, 2025. Please submit any comments you have on the SPP/APR to Richard Corbett at richard.corbett@dbhds.virginia.gov. 

Test your Knowledge with our Poll Feature

Pick your answer and scroll below to find the correct answer and explanation!

Scroll to the bottom for the correct answer.

ITCVA MCoP calls are held on the first Wednesday of each month beginning at 3:00PM. These calls are open to anyone who may be interested in the topic(s) being discussed. Calls are recorded for those who are unable to attend. Please visit the Monitoring Community of Practice page of the ITCVA website for a list of upcoming topics, the Microsoft Teams meeting link and session resources. 

December 2025 

Spring Into 2026! – Proactive Planning for CIMV and the Family Survey 

January 2026

TBD



SUPPORTING POSITIVE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS

This framework integrates family coaching with responsive caregiving routines to strengthen social-emotional development in infants and toddlers. It builds on the Pyramid Model’s tiers—especially the universal (promotion) and targeted (prevention) levels—by embedding coaching into daily family routines.

Key Components:

Routine-Based Family Coaching:

• EI providers coach caregivers during natural routines (e.g., mealtime, diapering, play).
• Focus is on co-regulation, emotional labeling, and predictable transitions.

Responsive Routines Planning Tool:

• A visual or written tool used collaboratively with families to identify:
• Key routines
• Child’s current behaviors
• Opportunities for embedding social-emotional strategies

Tiered Coaching Support:

• Tier 1: All families receive guidance on nurturing routines.
• Tier 2: Families with emerging concerns receive targeted coaching.
• Tier 3: Families with significant challenges receive intensive, individualized support.

Reflective Supervision for Providers:

• EI professionals receive monthly reflective supervision to enhance their coaching skills and emotional attunement.

Benefits:

• Strengthens family-provider partnerships
• Enhances child outcomes by embedding learning in real-life contexts
• Aligns with Virginia’s emphasis on social emotional development, coaching and relationship-based practices

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A GEM YOU MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN?

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED?

WHAT'S COMING

UP NEXT?

Need to brush up on social emotional development? Well, VEIPD has a way for you to customize your learning! Check out the Social Emotional Learning Path for curated learning around this topic, and many others!

Jump into the conversation with our new blog - VEIPD Voices! What do you want to talk about? Make your voice heard! 

Lisa Terry, Cori Hill, and Naomi Grinney just dropped the latest edition of Meaningful Moments. They chat about practical ways to apply the tiers of the Pyramid Model with infants and toddlers, examples of writing meaningful social-emotional outcomes, and tips for partnering with families to promote positive relationships and emotional growth from the start.

Register Now: Maternal Mental Health Training

The Virginia Health Care Foundation and Postpartum Support Virginia are offering virtual training on maternal mental health for healthcare professionals serving pregnant and postpartum Virginians. This special training is available at no cost to participants and is part of VHCF's maternal mental health initiative, It Takes a Village.

You'll learn to:

• Identify common perinatal mental health conditions
• Recognize warning signs and symptoms
• Approach clients with concerning behaviors
• Connect families to treatment and support resources

Perfect for: Health safety net professionals, doulas, lactation consultants, community health workers, and others working with perinatal populations.

No prior perinatal mental health experience required.

Space is limited – register early to secure your spot.

•       December 4, 2025, 10am – 3pm · Register here!

Click here for more opportunities.



FAMILY RESOURCES

ANSWER to POLL QUESTION

The correct answer is d – “all of the above”. 

Service Coordinators are advised to ask about any changes in financial status or insurance coverage during regular family contacts. When the system learns a child has lost their Medicaid during their monthly checks, the service coordinator is required to follow-up. The service coordinator checks with the family to determine if they are in the process of re-applying or if the child no longer meets the Medicaid/FAMIS financial eligibility requirements (Practice Manual, Chapter 8, pg. 7). Service Coordinators review family cost share agreements prior to IFSP reviews and if services increase for a child with private insurance, the IFSP review documents the family giving consent or declining to bill private insurance (Practice Manual, Chapter 8, pg. 14).

Providers are required to routinely (at least once a month) confirm with families whether or not their insurance has changed. Providers then notify the local system of any changes (Practice Manual, Chapter 8, pg.10).

Additionally, families are reminded on the family cost share agreement, in the statements of agreement section, to notify the service coordinator of any changes in their financial circumstances or insurance coverage impacting what is documented on the family cost share. 

When all team members routinely confirm accurate financial and insurance information, the local system is able to bill in accordance with the family cost share and system of payments.

For more information about system of payments, payer of last resort and Medicaid data entry requirements, visit the recording of last month’s Monitoring Community of Practice – Money, Money, Money…Not so Funny.



EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Employment Opportunities page on the ITCVA website 

receives nearly 5,000 visits each year!

Practitioners: Early intervention needs you! Influence the future of infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and their families by putting your skills and expertise to work today! Please visit the Employment Opportunities page on the ITCVA website for links to current job openings.

LSMs and local contracted agencies: Let us help connect you to qualified applicants! Are you a Local System Manager (LSM) or the director of an agency that contracts with one or more local early intervention systems in Virginia? Are you looking to find qualified applicants to fill vacant positions? Please visit our Employment Opportunities page for instructions on how to submit a job posting.



ITCVA DIRECT ACCESS

EARLY INTERVENTION CERTIFICATION



For questions about certification of practitioners, contact Anne Brager- 804-664-2462.

For questions related to completing the online application, contact VATRACITsupport@ssg-llc.com or from 8AM-5PM ET by calling 804-508-7229.

Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia is part of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services



https://itcva.online/itcva-staff/

1220 Bank Street, 9th Floor, P.O. Box 1797, Richmond, Virginia 23219-1797

Main Office: (804) 786-3710 • Main Fax: (804) 371-7959

Do you have colleagues who aren’t getting the Monthly Part C Update? Ask them to check their spam folder. If they're still not receiving it, have them email anne.brager@dbhds.virginia.gov.

DMAS RESOURCES