(a) The purpose of interagency coordination is to enhance the contractor's child find and public awareness efforts and to coordinate with community partners to increase access to resources and services for ECI children and families.
(b) The contractor must comply with all child find and public outreach requirements in all state-level HHSC ECI memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Head Start and Early Head Start, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), and any other state agency with which HHSC ECI enters into a MOU.
(c) The contractor must coordinate with LEA representatives to facilitate an effective transition from ECI to public school special education services and the LEA provision of auditory and visual impairment services. Coordination activities focus on developing a joint understanding of:
  (1) eligibility requirements for public school services, including for Part B services;
  (2) the state-level MOUs with TEA; and
  (3) if applicable, MOUs with the LEAs.
(d) The contractor must coordinate with representatives from Head Start and Early Head Start to ensure that families eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start have access to those services, as available. Coordination activities focus on developing a joint understanding of:
  (1) eligibility requirements for Head Start and Early Head Start placement;
  (2) the state-level MOU with Head Start and Early Head Start;
  (3) referral procedures; and
  (4) if applicable, the local MOU with Head Start and Early Head Start.
(e) The contractor must document coordination of ECI services with local agencies, as required by 34 CFR §303.302 and other programs identified by HHSC ECI.
(f) The contractor must maintain a current list of community resources for families that includes for each resource:
  (1) services provided;
  (2) contact information;
  (3) referral procedures; and
  (4) cost to families.
(g) The contractor must document the reasonable efforts to mitigate any systemic issues with achieving the requirements of this section.

Source Note: The provisions of this §350.615 adopted to be effective September 1, 2013, 38 TexReg 5524; amended to be effective March 7, 2015, 40 TexReg 939; amended to be effective June 30, 2019, 44 TexReg 3280; transferred effective March 1, 2021, as published in the Texas Register February 5, 2021, 46 TexReg 941