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Infant & Toddler
Connection of Virginia
May 2026
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Test your Knowledge with our Poll Feature
Pick your answer and scroll below to find the correct answer and explanation!
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| Which children should have Child Outcome Summary exit ratings? | | | | |
May is Early Intervention Awareness Month
Supporting Virginia’s Youngest Learners and Their Families
Every year, thousands of Virginia families take an important step—seeking support for their baby or toddler through Early Intervention. These services build skills, strengthen family routines, and ensure children have the best possible start in life.
Impact in Virginia
- More than 24,000 infants and toddlers received Early Intervention services across Virginia last year, reflecting our statewide commitment to developmental support during the most important years of growth.
- Services are family-centered, routines-based, and provided where children learn best in their natural environments like home or childcare.
Current Initiatives in Virginia that Support Families
TRAC‑IT: Tracking Progress. Strengthening Connections.
TRAC‑IT, Virginia’s Early Intervention data system, allows teams to:
- Coordinate services more efficiently
- Track developmental progress
- Support faster connections between families, providers, and community partners
Focusing on Social–Emotional Well‑Being
Virginia continues to expand practices that help identify children who may benefit from support earlier, including:
- Implementation of social–emotional screening and assessment tools
- Updated professional guidance in the ITCVA Practice Manual
- Statewide workgroups promoting reflective supervision and high‑quality evaluation practices
- Training based on the Pyramid Model, strengthening caregiver–child relationships and emotional resilience
These efforts help providers understand the whole child and help families feel supported and empowered.
How you, families and community partners can Celebrate Early Intervention Awareness Month
Check back next month to see how the ITC of Richmond celebrated Early Intervention Awareness Month!
Please send us pictures and stories of your system's awareness activities to be included in the June Update!
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Honoring Early Intervention Awareness Month
by Celebrating Two Inspiring Retirees
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Jennifer McElwee
May 29th, 2026, marks a milestone for the Virginia Beach early intervention community as we celebrate the retirement of longtime local system manager Jennifer McElwee. Jennifer’s career has been defined by unwavering dedication, quiet strength, and a deep belief in the potential of every child and family she served.
Before arriving in Virginia Beach, Jennifer spent many years as a devoted case manager supporting adults with disabilities-
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work that shaped her compassionate, person‑centered approach. She later transitioned into early intervention, first serving as the system manager in Portsmouth, where she quickly became known for her steady leadership and her ability to bring clarity and structure to complex systems. In 2007, she brought that expertise to Virginia Beach, stepping into a role that would grow significantly under her guidance.
When Jennifer assumed leadership, the system was expanding rapidly alongside a rising population and increasing demand for services. She met these challenges head‑on, implementing thoughtful, efficient processes for managing what could often be a high volume of new referrals. Her approach balanced practicality with empathy, ensuring that families experienced a system that was not only organized, but welcoming and accessible.
One of Jennifer’s most enduring legacies is the team she built. Under her leadership, the Virginia Beach early intervention program grew to nearly thirty staff members—many of whom have remained for fifteen years or more. That level of stability in a field marked by constant change speaks volumes. It reflects her intentional leadership, her fairness, and her ability to model the very heart of early intervention: collaboration, respect, and unwavering commitment to the youngest and most vulnerable members of the community.
Of course, anyone who has worked with Jennifer knows that her leadership was never just about policies and procedures. It was also about her humor, her warmth, and yes—her legendary checklists. She brought levity to stressful days, clarity to complicated situations, and a sense of groundedness that helped her team feel supported and confident in their work.
Jennifer has served both her city and the Commonwealth with integrity, steadiness, and a genuine passion for helping families thrive. Her impact will continue to be felt in the systems she strengthened, the staff she mentored, and the countless children and families whose lives were touched by her work.
It is with deep gratitude and great pride that we wish Jennifer a joyful, fulfilling, and very well‑earned retirement.
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Janet McMillan
After an extraordinary 41 years of service with the Commonwealth of Virginia, we extend our deepest appreciation to Janet McMillan, who will retire on August 1, 2026
Janet’s career stands as a shining example of dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to supporting children and families across Virginia.
Janet has spent 26 years working in Early Intervention, in
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addition to earlier work supporting young children as they transitioned from EI into Community Services Board programs. Before joining the Roanoke City Health District, she dedicated 26 years to Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, where she held several roles, including EI Team Leader. Those years shaped the knowledgeable, thoughtful, and family-centered leader so many of us have come to rely on.
When asked what she loves most about EI, Janet shared that it is the joy of seeing the progress children make and helping their families. This simple, heartfelt passion has been the foundation of her entire career.
Over the years, Janet has served in multiple roles within EI, including Service Coordinator, Developmental Services provider, Local System Manager, and EI Team Leader. She explains that she truly cannot choose a favorite—because she loved every one of them. As a Service Coordinator, she often “put on her investigative hat” to find resources and supports for families, drawing on her experience providing case management for individuals with developmental delays and mental health needs. She loved working directly with children and families, whether sitting on the floor during home visits or joining circle time in childcare settings.
As Local System Manager, Janet embraced the opportunity to learn new skills such as budgeting and enhancing her supervisory abilities. She speaks with deep gratitude about the team at the Health Department, sharing that she has been “blessed to have a wonderful group to work with” who have supported her throughout her journey.
Janet leaves us with thoughtful words of wisdom- be open to learning, because growth can happen every day. She encourages all of us to be honest about mistakes, ask questions, listen to new ideas, and welcome both positive and constructive feedback. She shared a meaningful memory of a parent who approached her years after an intake at Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, thanking her for the impact she had on their family. Janet had no idea she had made such a lasting impression, reminding us all that the time we spend with families and young children matters more than we may ever know.
Janet shares that she will miss everyone tremendously in her role as Local System Manager, though she hopes to continue supporting families in some capacity—but on a more limited basis.
Please join us in celebrating Janet McMillan’s remarkable career, her generous spirit, and her lasting contributions to Early Intervention in Virginia. We wish her a joyful, fulfilling, and well‑deserved retirement.
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Play, Learn, and Grow:
Celebrating EI Awareness Month with
Safe Outdoor Services
As the warm weather returns, many families enjoy meeting with early intervention providers at neighborhood playgrounds. These community spaces offer wonderful opportunities for children to learn, explore, and practice new skills in everyday routines. To help ensure that outdoor sessions remain safe and enjoyable for everyone, providers can keep the following safety tips in mind.
Playground Safety full doc
Playground Safety Flyer
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Schedule for the 2026 Family Survey
- Flyers begin mailing - 3/2
- Wave 1 begin mailing (those without email addresses). Families with email addresses will be sent an email invitation. - 3/20-4/3
- Wave 2 begin mailing (all non-responding families) - 4/20-5/4
- Calls begin to localities with less than 15 completes - 5/18-5/29
Link to flyer: 2026 Family Survey Flyer
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Monitoring Update
Supporting Families Through Virginia’s Part C Dispute Resolution Process
Virginia’s IDEA Part C dispute resolution system plays an important role in supporting families when questions or disagreements arise about eligibility, services, or IFSP decisions. The process is designed to protect family rights, keep communication open, and ensure that services continue while concerns are resolved.
For families, knowing their options helps them feel informed, empowered, and confident in their child’s early intervention experience. Whether through informal discussions, mediation, administrative complaints, or due process hearings, families have meaningful avenues to address concerns and seek resolution.
Learn how providers and service coordinators are essential in this process.
Supporting Families Through Virginia’s Part C Dispute Resolution Process
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Monitoring Community of Practice (MCoP) Calls:
As a reminder, MCOP calls are held on the first Wednesday of each month beginning at 3:00PM. Our next call will be held on April 1st . ITCVA MCoP calls are open to anyone who is interested in the topic(s) being covered.
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.
May 2026
Dispute Resolution
June 2026
POSM Lessons Learned – Part 2
| | SUPPORTING SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT | | |
The Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development Center (VEIPD) offers a range of targeted resources designed to support understanding, assessment, and practical strategies that promote positive social-emotional growth in young children and strengthen family-provider partnerships. This month, let's continue down our:
Social Emotional Development Learning Pathway
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Don't Miss this New Resource!
This resource collection brings together NCPMI family partnership resources in one place to support programs in aligning family engagement efforts with the Pyramid Model framework. Resources are categorized by tier and primary audience to make it easier for leadership teams, practitioners, and families to identify materials that align with their current goals and needs.
| | | | A GEM YOU MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN? | | WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED? | | | |
Interested in learning more about sensory processing development and intervention for infants and toddlers?
Wondering how sensory processing is connected with social emotional development?
If so, watch/listen to the two-part Talks on Tuesday webinars by Yvonne Hutchinson and Sara Kim from 2023. Phenomenal resource gem, for sure!
Remember, you can receive professional developmental hours for viewing resources like these archived Talks on Tuesday webinars.
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The VEIPD video series - HeartWired - is turning 1 year old! To celebrate this milestone, we created a summary of the videos we have pumped out so far. If you missed the email with this list, you are in luck because here is the direct link!
Have you had the opportunity to explore the Sensory Disability Learning Path? If not, we encourage you to do so because supervisors and practitioners are raving about it! Remember, Learning Paths offer you the opportunity to select how you want to go about your own learning. Hop on a path today and start your own learning journey!
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May is Early Intervention Awareness Month, y'all, and you will definitely want to follow VEIPD socials!
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
And, join our email list here to make sure that you can reserve spots for upcoming events, such as the ElevatED EI workshop on June 16th!
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Virginia's Annual Virtual IECMH Conference
Nurturing the Roots: Cultivating Self-Care and Vitality in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Practice
May 26-28, 2026 from 10:00 - 3:00 eastern time
The IECMHVA initiative is thrilled to share that registration is open for our annual virtual conference. All registered participants will receive a copy of Yolanda Richey's newest book A Pocket Full of Joy.
Register here: https://cvent.me/1o3PZ2
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ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 Training of Trainers
May 14, May 21, and June 4 from 10:00-5:00 PM by Zoom
ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 Training of Trainers is a 3-day training commitment designed for intermediate to advanced ASQ users who have experience using the screening tools and will be training staff within their organization. This training is not intended for beginner ASQ users. If you have never been trained on the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2, this training is not recommended (we recommend the participants have AT LEAST 3 Months of Experience on both tools).
This seminar offers an in-depth discussion of the role of screening tools in early childhood assessment and community early care systems. Through hands-on applied family studies and role plays, participants delve more deeply into the administration, scoring, interpretation, and sensitive communication of screening results, as well as practice talking to families about community referrals and follow-up. In addition, trainers will facilitate activities and discussions to explore cultural considerations for using the screening tool(s). As desired, trainers can also describe the research behind each tool and provide information about current and future research topics (e.g. how well tools identify children with autism).
| | RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES AND PROVIDERS | | |
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Virginia Department of Health
Oral Health
Oral health is health! The Dental Health Program (DHP) at VDH works internally and with partners to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation by improving access to dental care and public health interventions that improve oral health outcomes.
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Booklet
Fact Sheets
Links
| | POLL ANSWER AND EXPLANATION | | |
Which children should have exit ratings?
a. Children who receive services up to discharge date.
b. Children who transition to the school system.
c. Children who are lost to contact.
d. All of the above.
The correct answer is “d” all of the above.
For more details please see here:
COS Ratings and Capturing all Children's Progress
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JOIN US IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
Virginia’s Part C early intervention system is built on the dedication and talent of professionals who believe in the potential of every child. If you’re passionate about supporting infants, toddlers, and their families, we invite you to bring your skills, your curiosity, and your commitment to a team that truly values your contribution. Together, we can help Virginia’s youngest learners thrive!
Join thousands of others and visit the ITCVA Employment Opportunities page today!
Click here to view current job vacancies. Let us help find you that perfect position!
Click here to request an online posting. Let us help connect you to qualified applicants!
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| INFANT & TODDLER CONNECTION OF VIRGINIA | Looking for the most up-to-date version of the Part C Practice Manual...upcoming meeting dates...or even a new career opportunity? You'll find plenty of helpful information on the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia's early intervention website! Be sure to visit and bookmark itcva.online. | | |
MEDICAID ENROLLMENTS
If you have questions about enrollments for children with Medicaid please
contact Brenda Ayala.
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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.
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Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia is part of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
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 Early Intervention Support
For specific Medicaid questions related to billing and supports for Early Intervention, please use the following email:
EarlyIntervention@dmas.virginia.gov
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1220 Bank Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 664-2462
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