Services and Resources | Department of Pediatrics | College of Medicine – Jacksonville

Early Steps is a Children's Medical Services program provided by the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville department of pediatrics.

Services

How does Early Steps Work?

Early Steps providers visit regularly and support you to help your child learn new skills during your everyday routines. We call this approach embedded intervention. In Florida, it is known as Florida Embedded Practices and Intervention with Caregivers (FL-EPIC). Services and supports are individualized for each children’s and family’s priorities, strengths, and preferences.

Once eligibility for the Early Steps program has been determined a child’s family, service coordinator and the clinicians on the eligibility team will design a plan of care that targets developmental concerns based on the family’s priorities. Each plan is individualized, but may include some of the following services and supports:

Assistive technology
Audiology services
Early intervention
Family support and training
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Service coordination
SHINE services (Serving Hearing Impaired Newborns Effectively)
Speech therapy
Vision services
Translator services

What Happens During and Early Steps Visit?

You and a provider will work together to identify daily routines, like meals, bath, or outdoor play, as times when you can support your child to practice skills you want them to learn. You and a provider will work together to help you identify and use strategies to help your child learn. You will have the tools you need to support your child’s development and leaning during routines between provider visits. Learn more about family participation on the Early Steps website.

Resources

Monitoring Your Child Milestones

These resources can help you learn about your child’s development. You can find information about monitoring Milestones here:

Why is Early Intervention Important?

Positive early experiences are essential prerequisites for later success in school, the workplace, and the community. Building the capacity and confidence of families to support their infant or toddler who is at risk for developmental delays has been shown to positively impact outcomes across developmental domains, including health, language and communication, and cognitive and social/emotional development. Families benefit from early intervention by being able to meet their child’s needs from an early age and throughout their lives.

Family Resource Specialists

The Family Resource Specialist (FRS) is a parent or caregiver of a child who received Early Steps services. The FRS helps families of children in our Early Steps program by providing information and support and by connecting them with other parent organizations and community supports.

Ask your FRS about:

Local parent-to-parent support and playgroups
Information about community supports and resources such as housing, financial assistance, disaster preparedness, childcare, and health care.
Your child's and family's rights concerning Early Steps services
How the Early Steps system works
Obtaining funds to attend the Preparing for Transition conference

Family Resources

Northeast Florida Advocates for the Arc Nassau - Resources for caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities. #support4all
Learning Coalition of North Florida - Child care locator and financial assistance, VPK, screening services, etc.
Episcopal Children’s Services - Early Head Start (Callahan) and Head Start (Callahan, Fernandina Beach)
Florida Department of Health in Nassau County - WIC, immunizations, school health, Healthy Start, etc.
The Nassau County Community Education and Family Enrichment Center (NCCFEC) - (Also referred to as the Nassau County Children & Family Education Center) - 86207 Felmor Rd Yulee, FL 32097 - The center provides various programs, including adult education, exceptional student education, and school counseling. It also offers a comprehensive preschool program for eligible children, including those with disabilities or special needs. The NCCFEC focuses on safety, student progression, and parental involvement.
Barnabas Center - Nutrition services, health services, and empowerment program throughout Nassau County.
Fernandina Beach Housing Authority
Starting Point - Behavioral Health
Nassau County School District – Adult Education
Micah’s Place - Emergency shelter for abused women and their children, counseling, relocation assistance and parenting classes.
Boys and Girls Club - Mentoring, after school programs, summer camp
Big Brothers and Big Sisters - Mentor children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.
Nassau County (Florida) Special Needs Community Facebook Group
Office of Early Learning - Provides state level support and direction for parents, teachers and early learning professionals. Office of Early Learning administers three statewide programs: the state childcare assistance program, school readiness and free voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) to four year olds. There is also access to Child Care Resources and Referral programs for all Florida programs. Phone: 1-866-357-3239
211 United Way - A 24 Hour hotline where parents connect with national, state and local information and referral services. 2-1-1 offers parents information to assist families with food, housing employment, healthcare and counseling services. This is a valuable way to receive a variety of resources from once call. Call 211 for help.
Access Florida - Temporary Cash Assistance and food stamp information is available through Department of Children and Families Access Florida Hotline. This can also be used to obtain help with child support and other domestic issues. This site also has information on child care, requirements by centers, and a host of other services. Phone: 1-866-762-2237
Bright Futures - A National health promotion and prevention initiative, led by the American Academy of Pediatrics and supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources, and Services Administration that provides guidance for all preventative care screenings and well child visits.
Child Care Aware of America - National Network of more than 900 child care resource and referral agencies committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality programs and resources in their local community. The site also maintains links to resource and referral agencies in every state.
Child Help USA National Child Abuse Hotline - This hotline is staffed 24 hours daily with professional crisis counselors with access to thousands of resources’. This is also a source for comfort, help and resources for those in need. Phone: 1-800-422—4453
Department of Health/Children’s Medical Services/Early Steps - Provides information and referrals on disabilities and special health care needs for families, service coordinators and other professionals who work with children with special needs. Phone: 1-800-218-0001
Florida Kidcare - Health Insurance for uninsured children younger than age 19. This can also be a lower cost option for families who do not qualify financially. The Florida Kidcare program assesses eligibility based on age and family income. They do have buy in options that are worth exploring as well. 1-888-540-5437
Florida Healthy Start - Ensures that all Florida families have access to a continuum of affordable and quality health and related Services. 1-800-999-6200
Early Head Start - Head Start is a national school readiness program that provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services to children. Head Start programs can be a great resource for parents that are looking for help to reach IFSP goals, daycare options and help for families. This also helps guide a family with applying.
The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida - This program identifies and supports prevention programs to improve outcomes for children, preserve and strengthen families and promote healthy behavior and functioning in society.