Information and resources concerning special education:

• Preschool Special Education

• Preschool Special Education FAQ

• A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education | View translations - 10 languages available

• Autism Scholarship Program

• Dispute resolution

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QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions, contact Preschool Special Education at preschoolspecialeducation@education.ohio.gov or 614-369-3765.

Long term services and supports are programs or services that help children and adults with disabilities accomplish everyday tasks. Long-term services and supports allow individuals to live healthy, secure, and independent lives in the most appropriate place, either in the home and community or a facility setting.

For more information, see home and community-based services and additional long-term services.

Visit Benefits.Ohio.gov to check eligibility and apply.

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Questions?

If you have any questions, contact the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline at 800-324-8680 or your County Department of Job and Family Services .

Learn about the resources available from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and Ohio's county boards, and how to find these resources in your community.

• How to get started

• Assessing your needs | Enrolling in a waiver

• Bill of rights

• Where to go for help

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Apply/Questions

If you have questions, or to apply, contact your County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Healthy Start, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), provides health coverage to eligible children. It includes Healthchek, Ohio's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program.

The purpose of Healthchek is to discover and treat health problems early, so that children can have the best health and development possible.

Visit Benefits.Ohio.gov to check eligibility and apply.

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Questions?

If you have any questions, contact the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline at 800-324-8680 or your County Department of Job and Family Services .

The Children with Medical Handicaps Program (BCMH):

• Connects families of children with special health care needs to a network of quality providers.

• Helps families obtain payment for the services their children need.

BCMH offers diagnostic, treatment, and service coordination programs, as well as additional programs. Each program has its own medical and/or financial criteria.

Learn more about enrollment

Ohio's child passenger safety law requires the following:

• Children less than 4 years old or 40 pounds must use a child safety seat meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.

• Children less than 8 years old, unless they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall must use a booster seat.

• Children ages 8-15 must use a child safety seat or safety belt.

For more information, including when to move from a rear-facing car seat to front-facing, see the Ohio Child Passenger Safety brochure.

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Properly install your car seat

View video tutorials on how to install your car seat or find a child car seat inspection station near you. Certified technicians will inspect your car seat, for free in most cases, and show you how to correctly install and use it. Register your car seat so you can be notified of any safety recalls.

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Ohio Buckles Buckeyes

The Ohio Buckles Buckeyes program provides free child safety seats to eligible low income families in all Ohio counties.

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Questions?

If you have any questions, call 1-800-755-4769 (GROW) to be referred to a Child Passenger Safety Program near you.

Vision Screening Certification

Save Our Sight funds vision screen training to child care providers, nurses, teachers and health care professionals, as well as community volunteers to ensure that preschool children in Ohio have healthy vision for life. Parents will be informed of their child's vision screening results from the child's daycare, preschool or school.

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Ohio Amblyope Registry

The Ohio Amblyope Registry provides information and case management services to children diagnosed with amblyopia (lazy eye) and their families. Case management includes items like free patches, children's books, patching posters, and monthly newsletters. All families are eligible and there is no income requirement.

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Vision Health and Safety

The Ohio Optometric Association's Realeyes program is provided at schools, libraries and community groups. Local optometrists teach children about eye health and anatomy and the importance of vision care and eye safety.

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Early childhood mental health is the overall well-being of children from birth through age eight.

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Children and families who are emotionally healthy can:

• Experience, control, and express emotion.

• Form close, secure relationships.

• Learn by exploring the world around them.

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Early childhood mental health is made stronger by:

• Caring adult relationships.

• Meeting basic food, housing, and safety needs.

• High quality early learning environment.

• A supportive community.

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Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about a child, call 1-844-678-ABCs (2227).

Triple P is one of the best known and effective positive parenting systems in use worldwide.

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Triple P:

• Improves the health and well-being of children and parents.

• Reduces childhood behavioral issues.

• Supports families in need.

• Works across diverse families and communities worldwide.

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Parent and caretaker seminars are being offered around the state.

For more information, email Children's Services at the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Children go through stages of physical, emotional, cognitive and social development. After any type of major trauma, the stress of the event may interrupt, delay or possibly reverse that development.

Children need consistent care and a daily routine as soon as possible. They can be easily upset by change: food prepared differently, their special blanket missing, or being put into bed at night without the usual person or in a different way. Media coverage or adult conversations about the event can also be upsetting.

These emotional first aid tips may help parents and caregivers understand how to comfort a young child after a trauma.

Tips for Parents: Helping preschool-age children following a trauma

Research shows that young children can have lifelong benefits from positive relationships, nurturing and emotional support from parents and caregivers.

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Start Talking! "Tell Me" is designed to support adults in helping young children reach their full potential in school, learning and life.

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Tell Me Every Day . . .

I am safe

I am important

I make you proud

I make you happy

I am going to college

You love my smile and my laugh

You love my eyes and my hair

You love when I read to you

My feelings are important

You love that I work hard in school

You like/love my drawing or my art

You like/love how I am kind to others

You like/love that I am thoughtful to others

You like/love that I care about how other people feel

You like/love when I dance and play

You like/love when I eat my veggies and fruits

Ask me how I feel

Ask me what do I think

Use the child care search tool to find the early care and education program that meets your needs.

You can search by location, type of program, days/hours of operation, services provided, and Step Up To Quality rating.

Learn more about the different types of child care providers and the benefits of choosing a licensed program.

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What is Step Up To Quality?

Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) is Ohio's five-star early care and child care rating and improvement system. It recognizes programs that exceed minimum health and safety standards and promote children's learning and development.

SUTQ helps parents/caretakers choose higher quality, one through five-star rated programs that can better prepare children for the next step in their schooling.

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Why should you choose a star rated program?

• Highly trained teachers

• Development of school readiness skills

• Commitment to continuous improvement

Learn more at stepuptoquality.org

Publicly funded child care is available to help eligible parents/caretakers with child care costs while they engage in work, education, or job training.

The program provides access to the early care and education experiences children need to succeed in school.

It is available for children from birth through age 13 for:

• Child care

• Preschool

• Before- and after- school care

• Summer care

Eligibility:

• Check to see if you may be eligible by completing the

  Early Childhood Services Eligibility Self-Assessment

Learn more:

• Publicly funded child care fact sheet

• Frequently asked questions

• How to find child care and apply

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QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions, contact your County Department of Job and Family Services .

In December 2018, Ohio was awarded the Preschool Development Birth through Five Grant (PDG-B-5). As part of this grant Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) in partnership with Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), Ohio Department of Education (ODE), and Ohio Department of Health (ODH), have designed and developed the Early Childhood Services Eligibility Self-Assessment tool. This tool was designed to assist families with determining potential eligibility for all of Ohio's early childhood services and to help them make an informed decision. The tool also includes links to summary information and guidance on how to find, apply for, and contact each program.

The programs include:

• Early Childhood Education Grant

• Early Head Start

• Head Start

• Help Me Grow Early Intervention

• Help Me Grow Home Visiting

• Preschool Special Education

• Publicly Funded Child Care

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Eligibility:

• Check to see if you may be eligible by completing the

  Early Childhood Services Eligibility Self-Assessment

This easy-to-navigate site contains more than 50 websites and apps to help little learners ages prepare for school and their futures.

The INFOhio Early Learning Portal helps preschool children:

• Learn letters, numbers and basic knowledge;

• Interact with other children and adults;

• Engage in meaningful play; and

• Develop focus and problem-solving skills.

Each resource was chosen and evaluated by educators and librarians with expertise in early learning and literacy.

These standards describe key concepts and skills that young children develop during the birth-to-five-year period.

Their purpose is to support the development and well-being of young children and to foster their learning.

Early Learning and Development Standards

Step Up To Quality, Ohio's early care and child care rating and improvement system, uses these standards.

Head Start provides free learning and development services to children from 3-5 from low income families.

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Eligibility is generally based on family income at or below the poverty level. Children in foster care, homeless children, and children from families receiving public assistance (SSI or TANF ) are eligible regardless of income.

Children eligible for special education and related services, or early intervention services, as determined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, are prioritized for enrollment.

How to apply

Your local Head Start program can help you with understanding local requirements for enrolling a child. They will answer questions, provide you with required forms, and tell you what documents you should bring with you to apply.

Due to limited government funding, there are not enough spaces for all eligible children. If there is not a space for you and the child, ask the program to put your family on the waiting list.

How to find your local Head start program

You may locate programs in your area by using the Head Start Locator or by calling 1-866-763-6481.