21-2-706. Developmental preschool funding.

(a) Expenditures by the division for developmental preschool services shall be subject to the following:

(i) Contractual payments to developmental preschool service providers shall be sufficient for the providers to provide adequate services for children age birth through five (5) years of age with developmental disabilities and delays, including compensation levels for early childhood special educators, occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech-language therapists that are competitive with local school district compensation levels for those categories;

(ii) Contractual payments to developmental preschool service providers shall be sufficient for the providers to pay for professional development activities of their professional employees and for a statewide program to identify children age birth through five (5) years of age in need of developmental preschool services;

(iii) Contracts with developmental preschool service providers shall require that the providers adopt evidence-based best practices, as defined by the division by rule and regulation;

(iv) Three percent (3%) matching local funds shall be required in contracts with any developmental preschool service provider.

(b) For purposes of calculating payments to service providers for the subsequent fiscal year and preparing the division's budget request to the legislature, the division shall multiply the number of children age birth through five (5) years of age with developmental disabilities who are eligible for and placed on an individualized education program or individualized family service plan through developmental preschool services on or before December 1 of the year in which the budget request is being prepared by eight thousand five hundred three dollars ($8,503.00) per child per year. Eligibility for developmental preschool services shall be determined by the state rules and regulations governing an individualized education program or an individualized family service plan.

(c) Repealed By Laws 2008, Ch. 86, § 2.

(d) The per child amount specified in subsection (b) of this section shall be increased by the amount of three hundred sixty-three dollars ($363.00) to provide:

(i) Professional social-emotional development services as a component of service providers' individualized education programs or individualized family service plans; and

(ii) Training and technical assistance in early childhood social-emotional development to early childhood service providers in the developmental preschools' service areas.

(e) Commencing with the budget request for the fiscal year 2010 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the department shall prepare an exception budget request necessary to adjust the amounts calculated pursuant to subsections (b) and (d) of this section and as previously adjusted pursuant to this subsection, to reflect the most recent external cost adjustment enacted by the legislature pursuant to W.S. 21-13-309(o). The intent of this subsection is for each budget request to incorporate all previous adjustments made pursuant to this subsection.

(f) Funds appropriated under subsection (d) of this section shall only be distributed to developmental preschool service providers that have established collaborative service agreements with professional social-emotional development service providers to provide early intervention services.