June 10, 2025 • 22 mins
In this episode, hosts Inette Bolden and Jennifer Ferreira welcome Jill Ginsburg, Program Manager for Montgomery County’s Infants and Toddlers Program (MCITP). With over 20 years of experience in early intervention, Jill shares what inspired her journey in the field and highlights the critical impact of early intervention services on children from birth to age three.
Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of what early intervention means, how it supports both children and families, and how services are tailored to meet the needs of Montgomery County’s diverse population. Jill also provides practical guidance for families who may be seeking support and offers a powerful message about the lifelong benefits of early intervention.
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Episode Transcript
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Inette (00:11):
Unlock the magic of early childhood with Elevate.
This podcast is brought to youby Early Childhood Services, a
program within Montgomery County, Maryland's Department of
Health and Human Services.
We are dedicated to empoweringparents and educators with the
knowledge and tools to nurturethe next generation.
I'm Inette Bolden.
Jennifer (00:33):
And I'm Jennifer Ferreira, and we're your hosts
of Elevate On our episode.
We're excited to be joined byJill Ginsberg, Program Manager
within Montgomery County EarlyIntervention Services.
Jill Ginsberg is a ProgramManager for the Montgomery
County Infants and ToddlersProgram, also known as MCITP,
which is administered throughEarly Childhood Services.
(00:55):
She is a licensed clinicalsocial worker with over 20 years
of experience in earlyintervention.
A native of Montgomery County,Jill received her Bachelor of
Business Administration from theUniversity of Delaware and her
Master's of Social Work fromBoston University.
Early in her career, Jillworked in family preservation
and reunification.
(01:15):
Before joining MCITP in 2007,Jill facilitated support groups
for New Moms with Pace, agrassroots community
organization.
As an early interventionspecialist in MCITP, Jill
supported parents of childrenbirthed to the age of three with
developmental delays.
(01:36):
She later managed the contractbetween DHHS and the Lorry
Center for Children's Social andEmotional Wellness, which
embeds nurses and mental healthprofessionals in the MCITP.
Jill returned to clinicalpractice providing therapy to
women struggling with prenataland postpartum mental health
(01:56):
issues prior to joining DHHS in2024.
Inette (02:01):
So welcome, Jill.
We're so excited to have you onthe show today.
Jill (02:06):
Thank you so much for having me on the podcast.
Inette (02:10):
Absolutely.
So, I'm sure our listeners areeager to learn more about you
and all the great work thatyou're leading here in early
intervention.
But before we dive into that,how about you share with us a
bit about what sparked yourinterest in early childhood and
early intervention services?
Jill (02:26):
Well, thank you so much again.
I'm very excited to be here totalk about early childhood
services with Montgomery Countyand, like a lot of people in the
field, my interest in earlyintervention started when my own
daughter was diagnosed withautism when she was two years
old, and I started to receiveservices through the Montgomery
(02:47):
County Infants and Toddlersprogram.
I was very impressed with theservices we received, so when I
was ready to return to work, Ireached out to the social worker
who had been our had been ourservice coordinator and asked
(03:11):
how do I sign up?
And ever since then I've beenpassionate about early childhood
and early intervention.
Inette (03:14):
All right, thank you.
So what has been the mostrewarding aspect of your work so
far?
I'm sure, as a parent and inthe field, there's been probably
many highlights of sharing yourpassion, but what's been the
most rewarding?
Jill (03:30):
I think the most rewarding thing about working with the
Montgomery County Infants andToddlers Program is the parent
coaching model.
So we work with parents andcaregivers to teach them the
strategies they need to supporttheir child's development.
And because children learn andtheir brain changes so rapidly
(03:56):
when they're young, it's veryrewarding when you see that kind
of change occur from week toweek.
So I'd say that's probably themost rewarding thing is seeing
the kids develop so quickly andseeing the parents implement the
strategies.
Thank, you.
Jennifer (04:14):
So let's dive into your current work with
Montgomery County.
Early intervention is a term wehear a lot, but what does it
really mean?
Can you break it down for usand explain why it's so critical
for children and families inMontgomery County?
Jill (04:28):
So early intervention is federally mandated.
What that means is that everycounty in the United States must
have early interventionservices.
It's mandated through IDEA orthe Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, andin Montgomery County all
(04:50):
families are entitled to a freeevaluation through MCITP.
When we evaluate children, welook at five different areas of
development their speech andlanguage development, their fine
motor development, their grossmotor development, cognitive
development and their socialemotional development.
(05:12):
And in order to be foundeligible for services they need
to have either a 25% delay inany of those areas of
development.
It doesn't matter what theconcern is if they have a delay
in any of those areas ofdevelopment.
It doesn't matter what theconcern is If they have a delay
in any of the areas.
The child is found eligible forservices.
And then there are two otherways that children are found
(05:32):
eligible for services in infantsand toddlers.
One is that they have a highprobability of having a
developmental delay, and that'stypically due to something such
as prematurity of birth or adiagnosis of a genetic disorder
such as Down syndrome.
(05:53):
And then the third way isthrough atypical development,
and that allows our providers touse a little bit more clinical
judgment when they have aconcern about a child, but
perhaps they're not actuallyfalling into a 25% delay or they
don't have a high probabilitybased on a developmental
diagnosis.
(06:15):
So once a child is foundeligible for services through
infants and toddlers, the teamthat works with the family
develops an IFSP, which iscalled an Individual Family
Service Plan, and that planlooks at the child's strengths
(06:36):
and needs, the family's concernsand resources and it develops
the outcome.
So the IFSP is like a contractbetween the Infants and Toddlers
program and the family toprovide the services that that
child needs, similar to an IEPwhen your child is school age.
(06:58):
All of our services are free,they're voluntary and they take
place in the natural environment.
So that's typically either thefamily's home, or it could be a
childcare center, or it could bethe home of a family member,
wherever the child spends themajority of their time.
The family just needs to be aresident of Montgomery County in
(07:23):
order for us to provideservices to that child.
The reason that earlyintervention is so important is
because children's brains arevery malleable when they are
young and we're able tosignificantly improve
(07:45):
developmental outcomes byproviding services early in life
, and those outcomes help toimprove their school readiness,
their academic performance andtheir overall success in life.
Jennifer (07:59):
Well, thank you so much, Jill.
That's such a great and uniqueservice for the residents in
Montgomery County and I hope thefamilies that need it can
utilize this service Now.
Can you please share areal-life example of how early
intervention has made adifference for a child and their
family?
Jill (08:17):
So one of the things about early intervention is that we
provide services for childrenfrom birth to three years old,
so a lot of times we don't getto see what happens after they
leave our program.
But I do frequently run intoparents of children that I've
served and they're always eagerto show me pictures and tell me
(08:37):
about how well their childrenare doing.
But I can share my own story,and that's a story of my
daughter.
When she was two years old, westarted to notice that she was
not interacting with otherchildren her age and although
(08:58):
she had met her developmentalmilestones, such as crawling
when she was seven months andwalking when she was 12 months
and having over 100 words whenshe was 24 months, she was not
using her language like othertypical toddlers and she wasn't
responding to her name when shewas called.
(09:21):
So my family started to expressconcern, wondering whether
there might be something wrongwith her hearing.
We talked to the pediatrician.
The pediatrician had a kind ofa wait and see attitude because
she had met so many of hermilestones.
But then, when she was to alittle over two, she started
(09:43):
attending preschool and thepreschool teacher suggested that
I have her evaluated, andthat's when I reached out to the
Infants and Toddlers Programand they sent out a speech
therapist, an occupationaltherapist and a special educator
and they evaluated her in allof the areas of development and
(10:06):
found her eligible for services.
So we started weekly serviceswith a special educator coming
to the home and then we alsoattended a sensory processing
group at the site.
They also referred us forpsychological evaluation and
that's when my daughter actuallyreceived the diagnosis of
(10:28):
autism and when they provided,you know, recommendations for
treatment.
So she continued to receiveservices until she turned three
and transitioned intoschool-based services with
Montgomery County Public Schools.
She was in MCPS all the waythrough high school.
She graduated from RockvilleHigh School with a certificate
(10:53):
of completion from the Learningfor Independence program, which
is a functional life skillsprogram, and she's turning 25
next month and she lives in anapartment with two roommates,
she works part-time at a hairsalon and she has a rich and
fulfilling social life.
(11:13):
So I really credit earlyintervention for the progress
that my daughter's made and howwell she's doing now.
That my daughter's made and howwell she's doing now, and I
just can't say enough about theservices we received.
Jennifer (11:28):
I'm happy for her and thank you for sharing your
personal story, and that's suchan amazing story to see.
Like you said, you got to seethe difference and the impact
that it made in her life andthat's very valuable for other
family that may need the serviceand could benefit from it and
have a big impact in their lifeand their children's life too.
(11:48):
So thank you for sharing that,Jill.
Inette (11:51):
Jill, earlier you mentioned a parent coaching
model.
Since we have listeners who arealso early childhood educators,
can you tell us about theparent coaching model and how
that might differ from an earlychildhood educator coaching
model?
Jill (12:06):
So our family coaching model revolves around teaching
parents directly the skills thatthey need to improve their
child's development.
So what happens when a childreceives services through
infants and toddlers is thefamily's assigned a service
coordinator, and that servicecoordinator is the liaison
(12:30):
between the infants and toddlersprogram and the family.
Depending on what the area ofdevelopment is, that service
coordinator will typically bethe professional who is trained
in that area, be theprofessional who is trained in
that area.
So if it's gross motordevelopment, it might be a
(12:51):
physical therapist, or if it's aspeech and language issue, it
could be a speech therapist.
And then that person works withthe family to teach them the
skills and the tools that theyneed to improve their child's
development.
Inette (13:04):
Okay, so that gives us a good idea of what that is and
I'm sure that helps earlychildhood educators who may want
to give families advice orsupport in seeking out those
services so they know thosedifferences.
So thank you for sharing that.
Thank you, jill.
Jennifer (13:20):
And, yeah, that somewhat ties into my next
question I was going to have ishow early intervention, how does
it support not just a child butalso their family and
caregivers?
Jill (13:31):
Right, absolutely so.
The family coaching model isthe primary way.
So we work with the families tosupport the families.
We provide service coordinationso we provide resources to them
.
A big part of what we do iscalled a routines-based
interview, when we're getting toknow the family and during the
(13:53):
routines-based interview, or RBI, we get to know the family's
concerns, their resources, theirpriorities, and then the IFSP
is really what the family'sgoals and outcomes are for the
child.
They are family driven, so wework very closely with the
family and one of the serviceswe offer is actually family
(14:17):
counseling and training, whichis specifically providing
support to the family aroundwhatever may be going on in
their lives at that time.
In addition to that, we alsohave a family support network,
and a family support networkbrings families together,
provides resources and educationaround early childhood
(14:39):
development.
They have a newsletter and theyhave monthly events where they
bring in speakers and just pullparents together to provide them
with support and just pullparents together to provide them
with support.
Jennifer (14:54):
That's amazing Great services, and I'm hoping that
the families in MontgomeryCounty right now are listening
in and are now aware of theseamazing services for the child,
for their child, for themselvesas family, and also for
caregivers too.
So it's a holistic approach andcan benefit many in our
community.
Jill (15:12):
Yeah, it is.
It is holistic and I reallylike that, that word and we do
compare it to kind of a medicalmodel of treatment.
For instance, if a family wereto seek out services through
their insurance company, whichwe encourage them to do if they
would like, they're going to getmore a medical model where the
(15:35):
therapist is directly workingwith the child, and that's very
different from what we do, whichis, you know, coaching the
family so that they are the ones24 hours a day, you know, seven
days a week, interacting withtheir child and learning the
strategies.
Inette (15:55):
That's amazing.
Yes, this is such a greatservice for our community and
the families in our communityand we serve such a diverse
population here in MontgomeryCounty.
So how do early interventionservices adapt to meet the
cultural and linguistic needs ofour diverse families here?
Jill (16:15):
I think that's a really good question, annette.
So, as you know, montgomeryCounty is one of the most
diverse counties in the countryand we strive very hard to meet
the cultural and linguisticneeds of our community.
To meet the cultural,linguistic needs of our
(16:36):
community, so we prioritizehiring bilingual providers and
we have interpreters in over ahundred languages.
In addition, we will translateall of our documents that need
translating into the six primarylanguages that are spoken here
in Montgomery County.
We also use culturallycompetent assessment tools that
(16:59):
have been approved by theMaryland State Department of
Education or MSDE.
But, more importantly, we knowin infants and toddlers that our
families are the experts intheir culture.
So we ask a lot of questionsand that starts with the
assessment process and the RBIor routines based interview, and
(17:23):
it really helps us understandwhat's important to the family
and that's what's most importantto us.
Inette (17:31):
All right, thank you.
It really does sound likeMontgomery County is set up to
meet the very diverse needs ofall of our population and
meeting those early interventionneeds.
So how does a family typicallyfind out about our early
intervention services and whatshould they do if they think
their child might need support?
Jill (17:53):
Most families find out about infants and toddlers
either through theirpediatrician or another medical
professional or through a childcare provider, but a lot of
times it's also word of mouth,other people in the community,
preschool teachers, who arefamiliar with infants and
(18:13):
toddlers.
We receive in Montgomery Countyover 3,000 referrals a year and
we serve over 2,000 childrenevery year.
So if someone wanted to make areferral to the Infants and
Toddlers program, so if someonewanted to make a referral to the
Infants and Toddlers program,the best way is through our
(18:36):
secure portal, which is atreferralmditporg, or by calling
our intake line at 240-777-3997.
Line at 240-777-3997 and thenone of our intake specialists
will help with the referralprocess.
Inette (19:02):
All right, wonderful.
So that's a good way forsomeone to get in contact, and
so if an early childhoodeducator wanted to make a
referral, could they do that, ordo you suggest that they have
the parent call instead?
Jill (19:13):
So I always think it's best for the parent to make the
call or really to go online andcomplete the referral form
online.
However, we receive referralsfrom pediatricians, from NICUs,
(19:35):
pediatricians from NICUs fromchild care centers.
I would just suggest thatbefore that referral is made,
that the professionals speakwith the family so that the
family is aware of the referralbeing made.
Sometimes families are veryoverwhelmed, so, for instance,
if a child's in a NICU, you know, and they might not be in a
position to be able to fill outthat form or make that call.
So it can be really helpful ifthe NICU nurse or doctor makes
(19:59):
that referral.
But it's very helpful if thefamily's aware of the referral
so that when we do contact themthey know who we are and why
we're calling.
Inette (20:10):
All right, that's great information to share.
Thank you.
So, as we wrap up here, what'sone message you'd like to leave
with our audience about thepower of early intervention?
Jill (20:22):
The one message I'd like to leave is don't wait.
The connections in the brainare most adaptable in the first
three years of life, and thoseconnections are the foundation
for learning.
As we get older, theconnections become harder to
change, so if you or a familymember have any concerns about
(20:45):
your child's development, pleasereach out.
We are here to support you andyour family.
Inette (20:51):
All right thank you.
Jennifer (20:53):
Thank you once again, jill, for sharing such a wealth
of information with us today.
It has been a true pleasurehaving you on our podcast and
I'm very excited for thefamilies in Montgomery County to
hear about the MCITP services.
Jill (21:08):
Thank you so much for having me.
I really enjoyed myself.
Jennifer (21:11):
Thank you again and please be sure to tune in next
time as we explore more supportsand community resources
available to those who nurtureyoung children.
Inette (21:22):
Stay informed, inspired and connected to the vibrant
community of early childhoodenthusiasts.
Together, let's build a strongfoundation for the future, one
child at a time.
Stay connected and join theconversation by following us on
social media at DHHSCCSS.
(21:42):
See you next time.
Announcer (21:45):
This podcast is brought to you by County Cable
Montgomery, your source for newsand information from the
Montgomery County Government.
Connect with us via cable,facebook, instagram or YouTube
by searching for County CableMoCo.
Unlock the magic of early childhood with Elevate.
This podcast is brought to youby Early Childhood Services, a
program within Montgomery County, Maryland's Department of
Health and Human Services.
We are dedicated to empoweringparents and educators with the
knowledge and tools to nurturethe next generation.
I'm Inette Bolden.
Jennifer (00:33):
And I'm Jennifer Ferreira, and we're your hosts
of Elevate On our episode.
We're excited to be joined byJill Ginsberg, Program Manager
within Montgomery County EarlyIntervention Services.
Jill Ginsberg is a ProgramManager for the Montgomery
County Infants and ToddlersProgram, also known as MCITP,
which is administered throughEarly Childhood Services.
(00:55):
She is a licensed clinicalsocial worker with over 20 years
of experience in earlyintervention.
A native of Montgomery County,Jill received her Bachelor of
Business Administration from theUniversity of Delaware and her
Master's of Social Work fromBoston University.
Early in her career, Jillworked in family preservation
and reunification.
(01:15):
Before joining MCITP in 2007,Jill facilitated support groups
for New Moms with Pace, agrassroots community
organization.
As an early interventionspecialist in MCITP, Jill
supported parents of childrenbirthed to the age of three with
developmental delays.
(01:36):
She later managed the contractbetween DHHS and the Lorry
Center for Children's Social andEmotional Wellness, which
embeds nurses and mental healthprofessionals in the MCITP.
Jill returned to clinicalpractice providing therapy to
women struggling with prenataland postpartum mental health
(01:56):
issues prior to joining DHHS in2024.
Inette (02:01):
So welcome, Jill.
We're so excited to have you onthe show today.
Jill (02:06):
Thank you so much for having me on the podcast.
Inette (02:10):
Absolutely.
So, I'm sure our listeners areeager to learn more about you
and all the great work thatyou're leading here in early
intervention.
But before we dive into that,how about you share with us a
bit about what sparked yourinterest in early childhood and
early intervention services?
Jill (02:26):
Well, thank you so much again.
I'm very excited to be here totalk about early childhood
services with Montgomery Countyand, like a lot of people in the
field, my interest in earlyintervention started when my own
daughter was diagnosed withautism when she was two years
old, and I started to receiveservices through the Montgomery
(02:47):
County Infants and Toddlersprogram.
I was very impressed with theservices we received, so when I
was ready to return to work, Ireached out to the social worker
who had been our had been ourservice coordinator and asked
(03:11):
how do I sign up?
And ever since then I've beenpassionate about early childhood
and early intervention.
Inette (03:14):
All right, thank you.
So what has been the mostrewarding aspect of your work so
far?
I'm sure, as a parent and inthe field, there's been probably
many highlights of sharing yourpassion, but what's been the
most rewarding?
Jill (03:30):
I think the most rewarding thing about working with the
Montgomery County Infants andToddlers Program is the parent
coaching model.
So we work with parents andcaregivers to teach them the
strategies they need to supporttheir child's development.
And because children learn andtheir brain changes so rapidly
(03:56):
when they're young, it's veryrewarding when you see that kind
of change occur from week toweek.
So I'd say that's probably themost rewarding thing is seeing
the kids develop so quickly andseeing the parents implement the
strategies.
Thank, you.
Jennifer (04:14):
So let's dive into your current work with
Montgomery County.
Early intervention is a term wehear a lot, but what does it
really mean?
Can you break it down for usand explain why it's so critical
for children and families inMontgomery County?
Jill (04:28):
So early intervention is federally mandated.
What that means is that everycounty in the United States must
have early interventionservices.
It's mandated through IDEA orthe Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, andin Montgomery County all
(04:50):
families are entitled to a freeevaluation through MCITP.
When we evaluate children, welook at five different areas of
development their speech andlanguage development, their fine
motor development, their grossmotor development, cognitive
development and their socialemotional development.
(05:12):
And in order to be foundeligible for services they need
to have either a 25% delay inany of those areas of
development.
It doesn't matter what theconcern is if they have a delay
in any of those areas ofdevelopment.
It doesn't matter what theconcern is If they have a delay
in any of the areas.
The child is found eligible forservices.
And then there are two otherways that children are found
(05:32):
eligible for services in infantsand toddlers.
One is that they have a highprobability of having a
developmental delay, and that'stypically due to something such
as prematurity of birth or adiagnosis of a genetic disorder
such as Down syndrome.
(05:53):
And then the third way isthrough atypical development,
and that allows our providers touse a little bit more clinical
judgment when they have aconcern about a child, but
perhaps they're not actuallyfalling into a 25% delay or they
don't have a high probabilitybased on a developmental
diagnosis.
(06:15):
So once a child is foundeligible for services through
infants and toddlers, the teamthat works with the family
develops an IFSP, which iscalled an Individual Family
Service Plan, and that planlooks at the child's strengths
(06:36):
and needs, the family's concernsand resources and it develops
the outcome.
So the IFSP is like a contractbetween the Infants and Toddlers
program and the family toprovide the services that that
child needs, similar to an IEPwhen your child is school age.
(06:58):
All of our services are free,they're voluntary and they take
place in the natural environment.
So that's typically either thefamily's home, or it could be a
childcare center, or it could bethe home of a family member,
wherever the child spends themajority of their time.
The family just needs to be aresident of Montgomery County in
(07:23):
order for us to provideservices to that child.
The reason that earlyintervention is so important is
because children's brains arevery malleable when they are
young and we're able tosignificantly improve
(07:45):
developmental outcomes byproviding services early in life
, and those outcomes help toimprove their school readiness,
their academic performance andtheir overall success in life.
Jennifer (07:59):
Well, thank you so much, Jill.
That's such a great and uniqueservice for the residents in
Montgomery County and I hope thefamilies that need it can
utilize this service Now.
Can you please share areal-life example of how early
intervention has made adifference for a child and their
family?
Jill (08:17):
So one of the things about early intervention is that we
provide services for childrenfrom birth to three years old,
so a lot of times we don't getto see what happens after they
leave our program.
But I do frequently run intoparents of children that I've
served and they're always eagerto show me pictures and tell me
(08:37):
about how well their childrenare doing.
But I can share my own story,and that's a story of my
daughter.
When she was two years old, westarted to notice that she was
not interacting with otherchildren her age and although
(08:58):
she had met her developmentalmilestones, such as crawling
when she was seven months andwalking when she was 12 months
and having over 100 words whenshe was 24 months, she was not
using her language like othertypical toddlers and she wasn't
responding to her name when shewas called.
(09:21):
So my family started to expressconcern, wondering whether
there might be something wrongwith her hearing.
We talked to the pediatrician.
The pediatrician had a kind ofa wait and see attitude because
she had met so many of hermilestones.
But then, when she was to alittle over two, she started
(09:43):
attending preschool and thepreschool teacher suggested that
I have her evaluated, andthat's when I reached out to the
Infants and Toddlers Programand they sent out a speech
therapist, an occupationaltherapist and a special educator
and they evaluated her in allof the areas of development and
(10:06):
found her eligible for services.
So we started weekly serviceswith a special educator coming
to the home and then we alsoattended a sensory processing
group at the site.
They also referred us forpsychological evaluation and
that's when my daughter actuallyreceived the diagnosis of
(10:28):
autism and when they provided,you know, recommendations for
treatment.
So she continued to receiveservices until she turned three
and transitioned intoschool-based services with
Montgomery County Public Schools.
She was in MCPS all the waythrough high school.
She graduated from RockvilleHigh School with a certificate
(10:53):
of completion from the Learningfor Independence program, which
is a functional life skillsprogram, and she's turning 25
next month and she lives in anapartment with two roommates,
she works part-time at a hairsalon and she has a rich and
fulfilling social life.
(11:13):
So I really credit earlyintervention for the progress
that my daughter's made and howwell she's doing now.
That my daughter's made and howwell she's doing now, and I
just can't say enough about theservices we received.
Jennifer (11:28):
I'm happy for her and thank you for sharing your
personal story, and that's suchan amazing story to see.
Like you said, you got to seethe difference and the impact
that it made in her life andthat's very valuable for other
family that may need the serviceand could benefit from it and
have a big impact in their lifeand their children's life too.
(11:48):
So thank you for sharing that,Jill.
Inette (11:51):
Jill, earlier you mentioned a parent coaching
model.
Since we have listeners who arealso early childhood educators,
can you tell us about theparent coaching model and how
that might differ from an earlychildhood educator coaching
model?
Jill (12:06):
So our family coaching model revolves around teaching
parents directly the skills thatthey need to improve their
child's development.
So what happens when a childreceives services through
infants and toddlers is thefamily's assigned a service
coordinator, and that servicecoordinator is the liaison
(12:30):
between the infants and toddlersprogram and the family.
Depending on what the area ofdevelopment is, that service
coordinator will typically bethe professional who is trained
in that area, be theprofessional who is trained in
that area.
So if it's gross motordevelopment, it might be a
(12:51):
physical therapist, or if it's aspeech and language issue, it
could be a speech therapist.
And then that person works withthe family to teach them the
skills and the tools that theyneed to improve their child's
development.
Inette (13:04):
Okay, so that gives us a good idea of what that is and
I'm sure that helps earlychildhood educators who may want
to give families advice orsupport in seeking out those
services so they know thosedifferences.
So thank you for sharing that.
Thank you, jill.
Jennifer (13:20):
And, yeah, that somewhat ties into my next
question I was going to have ishow early intervention, how does
it support not just a child butalso their family and
caregivers?
Jill (13:31):
Right, absolutely so.
The family coaching model isthe primary way.
So we work with the families tosupport the families.
We provide service coordinationso we provide resources to them
.
A big part of what we do iscalled a routines-based
interview, when we're getting toknow the family and during the
(13:53):
routines-based interview, or RBI, we get to know the family's
concerns, their resources, theirpriorities, and then the IFSP
is really what the family'sgoals and outcomes are for the
child.
They are family driven, so wework very closely with the
family and one of the serviceswe offer is actually family
(14:17):
counseling and training, whichis specifically providing
support to the family aroundwhatever may be going on in
their lives at that time.
In addition to that, we alsohave a family support network,
and a family support networkbrings families together,
provides resources and educationaround early childhood
(14:39):
development.
They have a newsletter and theyhave monthly events where they
bring in speakers and just pullparents together to provide them
with support and just pullparents together to provide them
with support.
Jennifer (14:54):
That's amazing Great services, and I'm hoping that
the families in MontgomeryCounty right now are listening
in and are now aware of theseamazing services for the child,
for their child, for themselvesas family, and also for
caregivers too.
So it's a holistic approach andcan benefit many in our
community.
Jill (15:12):
Yeah, it is.
It is holistic and I reallylike that, that word and we do
compare it to kind of a medicalmodel of treatment.
For instance, if a family wereto seek out services through
their insurance company, whichwe encourage them to do if they
would like, they're going to getmore a medical model where the
(15:35):
therapist is directly workingwith the child, and that's very
different from what we do, whichis, you know, coaching the
family so that they are the ones24 hours a day, you know, seven
days a week, interacting withtheir child and learning the
strategies.
Inette (15:55):
That's amazing.
Yes, this is such a greatservice for our community and
the families in our communityand we serve such a diverse
population here in MontgomeryCounty.
So how do early interventionservices adapt to meet the
cultural and linguistic needs ofour diverse families here?
Jill (16:15):
I think that's a really good question, annette.
So, as you know, montgomeryCounty is one of the most
diverse counties in the countryand we strive very hard to meet
the cultural and linguisticneeds of our community.
To meet the cultural,linguistic needs of our
(16:36):
community, so we prioritizehiring bilingual providers and
we have interpreters in over ahundred languages.
In addition, we will translateall of our documents that need
translating into the six primarylanguages that are spoken here
in Montgomery County.
We also use culturallycompetent assessment tools that
(16:59):
have been approved by theMaryland State Department of
Education or MSDE.
But, more importantly, we knowin infants and toddlers that our
families are the experts intheir culture.
So we ask a lot of questionsand that starts with the
assessment process and the RBIor routines based interview, and
(17:23):
it really helps us understandwhat's important to the family
and that's what's most importantto us.
Inette (17:31):
All right, thank you.
It really does sound likeMontgomery County is set up to
meet the very diverse needs ofall of our population and
meeting those early interventionneeds.
So how does a family typicallyfind out about our early
intervention services and whatshould they do if they think
their child might need support?
Jill (17:53):
Most families find out about infants and toddlers
either through theirpediatrician or another medical
professional or through a childcare provider, but a lot of
times it's also word of mouth,other people in the community,
preschool teachers, who arefamiliar with infants and
(18:13):
toddlers.
We receive in Montgomery Countyover 3,000 referrals a year and
we serve over 2,000 childrenevery year.
So if someone wanted to make areferral to the Infants and
Toddlers program, so if someonewanted to make a referral to the
Infants and Toddlers program,the best way is through our
(18:36):
secure portal, which is atreferralmditporg, or by calling
our intake line at 240-777-3997.
Line at 240-777-3997 and thenone of our intake specialists
will help with the referralprocess.
Inette (19:02):
All right, wonderful.
So that's a good way forsomeone to get in contact, and
so if an early childhoodeducator wanted to make a
referral, could they do that, ordo you suggest that they have
the parent call instead?
Jill (19:13):
So I always think it's best for the parent to make the
call or really to go online andcomplete the referral form
online.
However, we receive referralsfrom pediatricians, from NICUs,
(19:35):
pediatricians from NICUs fromchild care centers.
I would just suggest thatbefore that referral is made,
that the professionals speakwith the family so that the
family is aware of the referralbeing made.
Sometimes families are veryoverwhelmed, so, for instance,
if a child's in a NICU, you know, and they might not be in a
position to be able to fill outthat form or make that call.
So it can be really helpful ifthe NICU nurse or doctor makes
(19:59):
that referral.
But it's very helpful if thefamily's aware of the referral
so that when we do contact themthey know who we are and why
we're calling.
Inette (20:10):
All right, that's great information to share.
Thank you.
So, as we wrap up here, what'sone message you'd like to leave
with our audience about thepower of early intervention?
Jill (20:22):
The one message I'd like to leave is don't wait.
The connections in the brainare most adaptable in the first
three years of life, and thoseconnections are the foundation
for learning.
As we get older, theconnections become harder to
change, so if you or a familymember have any concerns about
(20:45):
your child's development, pleasereach out.
We are here to support you andyour family.
Inette (20:51):
All right thank you.
Jennifer (20:53):
Thank you once again, jill, for sharing such a wealth
of information with us today.
It has been a true pleasurehaving you on our podcast and
I'm very excited for thefamilies in Montgomery County to
hear about the MCITP services.
Jill (21:08):
Thank you so much for having me.
I really enjoyed myself.
Jennifer (21:11):
Thank you again and please be sure to tune in next
time as we explore more supportsand community resources
available to those who nurtureyoung children.
Inette (21:22):
Stay informed, inspired and connected to the vibrant
community of early childhoodenthusiasts.
Together, let's build a strongfoundation for the future, one
child at a time.
Stay connected and join theconversation by following us on
social media at DHHSCCSS.
(21:42):
See you next time.
Announcer (21:45):
This podcast is brought to you by County Cable
Montgomery, your source for newsand information from the
Montgomery County Government.
Connect with us via cable,facebook, instagram or YouTube
by searching for County CableMoCo.
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