First Steps Rules & Regulations

The  Individuals  with  Disabilities  Education  Act  (IDEA)  is  the  nation’s  special  education  law. Part C of IDEA is the section of the law that provides for early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities, birth to age three. 

In Missouri, the Part C system is called the First Steps program. Each state participating in Part C of IDEA must develop state rules which specify how Part C will be implemented in the state.

Federal Part C of IDEA

The federal regulations are rules that guide the implementation of Part C of IDEA. The federal regulations incorporate the minimum requirements from the IDEA law and are the basis for establishing a state’s requirements for compliance. The state completes an annual application for Part C of IDEA funds to support the First Steps program and reports compliance and results data annually in the State Performance Plan (SPP) & Annual Performance Report (APR) to the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

Missouri State Plan Part C

The Missouri State Plan for Part C – First Steps are the state regulations outlining how Missouri will meet the federal regulations.