FCB provides comprehensive and ongoing Early Intervention services for children across Calgary and in Cochrane. Services are provided onsite through our Childcare, Preschool and Kindergarten programs, as well as offsite through our Community Partners.
Early Intervention Process & Eligibility
Early intervention is fully funded through Alberta Education. The grant type depends on the child’s needs: Mild/Moderate (M/M) funding for children with either mild or moderate developmental delays; Program Unit Funding (PUF) for children whose needs are more significant; and English as an Additional Language (EAL) funding for children who are new to learning English.
Mild/Moderate (M/M) Funding
A child who is eligible to receive M/M funding is a child who is diagnosed with a mild or moderate delay in one or two developmental areas. To qualify for this funding, the child must be between 3 years 8 months and less than 6 years old on September 1. A preschool aged child must be in their last of year of preschool and headed to kindergarten in the next academic year. The second year of M/M funding includes the child’s kindergarten year.
Funding is based on the screening and assessment results provided by FCB therapists and Alberta Education Criteria. An Early Learning Coordinator (ELC) who is a Certificated Teacher develops the M/M program with input from the child’s Early intervention (EI) Team (parents, therapists, classroom teachers). The ELC oversees the child’s EI team, participates in some therapy sessions, collaborates with parents, and shares the Individual Program Plan (IPP) with parents and Alberta Education.
Alberta Education requires that all children receiving Mild/Moderate services participates in 475 hours of programming through the year. A Foothills Creative Beginnings Early Learning Coordinator will work with you to ensure your child’s program meets this requirement.
Program Unit Funding (PUF)
To be eligible to receive PUF funding, a child must be between 2 years 8 months and less than 6 years old as of September 1. PUF funding is available for 3 years, includes the child’s kindergarten year. Applications for funding are based on classroom observations and assessment results provided by FCB therapists. An Early Learning Coordinator develops the early intervention program, including the Individual Program Plan (IPP), with the child’s Early Intervention team (Parents, therapists and classroom teachers).
The IPP will include developmentally appropriate educational goals for the child and strategies for achieving these goals. Goal progress will be monitored and tracked through the child’s IPP and observational notes. Parents will be invited to attend three IPP meetings throughout the school year.
Alberta Education requires that children receiving PUF services must participate in a minimum number of programming hours. This ranges between 300-475 and is based on the age of your child. A Foothills Creative Beginnings Early Learning Coordinator will work with you to ensure that your child’s program has 400 hours.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
A child is eligible to receive EAL funding is a child who has been in an English rich environment for a year. To qualify for this funding, the child must be between 3 years 8 months and 6 years old on September 1. The second year must be Kindergarten.
FCB follows an EAL curriculum that has been developed for preschool aged children. EAL programming is designed to facilitate improving children’s English Language in schools. The funding is based on the screening and assessment benchmark results provided by FCB certificated teachers.
Alberta Education requires that all children receiving Mild/Moderate services participates in 475 hours of programming through the year. A Foothills Creative Beginnings Early Learning Coordinator will work with you to ensure your child’s program meets this requirement.