Arkansas Administrative Code

20 CAR § 1000-105. General policies and procedures relating to the Arkansas Birth through Prekindergarten Teaching Credential. (a)(1) The Birth through Prekindergarten Teaching Credential shall: (A) Become effective upon the date of issue; and (B) Be valid for five (5) years. (2)…

20 CAR § 1000-106. Monitoring and assessment requirements. (a) The Office of Early Childhood will verify the annual professional development hours of the applicants upon renewal of certification. (b) Verification of hours can be completed through one (1) of the following ways: (1…

20 CAR § 1000-107. Requirements for the renewal of an Arkansas Birth through Prekindergarten Teaching Credential. A Birth through Prekindergarten Teaching Credential shall be automatically renewed upon the person meeting the following requirements: (1) Complete the renewal applic…

20 CAR § 1001-101. Purpose. (a) It is the purpose of this part to set the general guidelines for the operation of Better Beginnings. (b)(1) Providers who choose to receive funding from the Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant must be a Better Beginnings participant at the …

20 CAR § 1001-102. Definitions. As used in this part: (1) The “Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS)” means the first valid and reliable instrument for measuring and improving the overall quality of business and professional practices in family childcare setti…

20 CAR § 1001-103. Agency responsibility. (a) The Office of Early Childhood will coordinate and administer Better Beginnings. (b)(1) The office is authorized to make temporary revisions to this part as deemed necessary during a Governor-declared public health emergency or natural…

20 CAR § 1001-104. Eligibility. (a) All licensed, registered, and church-operated exempt childcare facilities, as defined under Arkansas Code § 20-78-202, exclusive of foster homes, group homes, and custodial institutions, are eligible to apply for certified status. (b)(1) All ch…

20 CAR § 1001-105. Component areas, requirements, and levels. (a) There are four (4) component areas in Better Beginnings: (1) Administration; (2) Staff Qualifications and Professional Development; (3) Learning Environment/Environment Assessment; and (4) Child Health and Developm…

20 CAR § 1001-106. Application. (a) The application will consist of the following items: (1)(A) An application indicating the level of Better Beginnings that the individual is applying for. (B) This can be submitted via the provider portal. (C) If the provider portal is not opera…

20 CAR § 1001-107. Application review process. (a) Applications will be denied if they lack the required supporting documentation. (b) The Office of Early Childhood will review the supporting documentation to determine whether each item submitted meets the intent of the associate…

20 CAR § 1001-108. Maintaining certification. (a)(1) Certification for level two (2) and above is valid for thirty-six (36) months unless the facility becomes otherwise ineligible for certification according to: (A) 20 CAR § 1001-104, eligibility; or (B) 20 CAR § 1001-109, advers…

20 CAR § 1001-109. Adverse action. (a)(1) Adverse actions include denial, suspension, reduction in level, or removal of certified status. (2) Adverse actions may include but are not limited to: (A) Ineligibility to participate according to 20 CAR § 1001-104,eligibility; (B) Appli…

20 CAR § 1001-110. Appeal procedure. (a)(1) Facilities that are denied certification status, are found to be ineligible for a particular level, or have had their certification status reduced or removed may request an appeal. (2) A written request for appeal shall be submitted to …

20 CAR § 1002-1001. Reconsideration of adverse regulatory action. (a)(1) The manager or administrator on record for a local provider program and, or, or both an individual service provider may ask for reconsideration of any adverse regulatory action taken by First Connections and…

20 CAR § 1002-1002. Appeal of regulatory actions. (a) A local provider program and, or, or both an individual service provider may administratively appeal any adverse regulatory action to the Department of Education, Office of Legal Services, Four Capitol Mall, Room 301-A, Little…

20 CAR § 1002-101. Purpose. The purpose of this part is to: (1) Serve as the minimum guidance for local provider programs and early intervention service providers; and (2) Ensure that all aspects of the First Connections program are carried out in compliance with the requirements…

20 CAR § 1002-102. Definitions. As used in this part: (1) "ADE" means the Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education, the Governor-appointed lead agency for Arkansas's early intervention program under Part C of the IDEA, F…

20 CAR § 1002-201. Certification generally. (a) All local provider programs and individual service providers must meet minimum state licensure requirements and be certified by First Connections to provide any early intervention service. (b) All local provider programs and individ…

20 CAR § 1002-202. Application for a local provider program, entity, or organization. (a) To apply to become an early intervention provider program, a completed application must be submitted to First Connections during periods of open enrollment. (b) A complete application includ…

20 CAR § 1002-203. Application approval process. (a) First Connections notifies an early intervention provider program applicant in writing of acceptance and, or, or both application approval to become a First Connections provider program when: (1) The potential local provider pr…

20 CAR § 1002-204. Certification of individual early intervention service providers. (a) All individual service providers must meet minimum state licensure requirements for their early intervention role in order to be certified by First Connections to provide any early interventi…

20 CAR § 1002-205. Organization and ownership. (a) A local provider program must be authorized and in good standing to do business under the laws of the State of Arkansas. (b)(1) If the local provider program is an entity or organization, it must appoint a single manager as the p…

20 CAR § 1002-206. Local provider program personnel and staffing. (a)(1) A local provider program must comply with all requirements applicable to employees under this part, including without limitation drug screens, criminal background checks, adult and child maltreatment registr…

20 CAR § 1002-207. Employee records. (a) A local provider program must maintain a personnel file for each employee in the state-approved data system including without limitation: (1) Evidence of all required criminal background checks; (2) All required Child Maltreatment Central …

20 CAR § 1002-208. Document destruction. (a) Local provider programs, EI service providers, and other early intervention professionals are not required to maintain or keep hard copies or paper records. (b) If a local provider program elects to maintain hard copies or paper record…

20 CAR § 1002-209. Marketing and solicitation. (a) A local provider program can market its services. (b) A local provider program and, or, or both an EI service provider cannot solicit a child or the child’s family. (c) A local provider program and, or, or both an EI service prov…

20 CAR § 1002-210. Third-party service agreements. (a) A local provider program must notify the Part C coordinator in writing when contracting with a third-party vendor or vendors to provide services or otherwise satisfy requirements under this part. (b) A local provider program …

20 CAR § 1002-211. System of payments. (a) Provider program must provide any service on the IFSP at no cost to the parent. (b) Part C funds may only be used as the payor of last resort when there are no other federal, state, local, or private resources available to pay for the ea…

20 CAR § 1002-212. Refusal to serve a specific family and, or, or both child. (a) If the local provider program the parent selected to provide an evaluation or IFSP service is unable or unwilling to provide the service outlined in the child’s electronic record for which the paren…

20 CAR § 1002-301. Use of state-approved data system. (a) All local provider programs, EI service providers, and other early intervention professionals must use the state-approved data system in its entirety to maintain timely, accurate, and complete electronic records for each c…

20 CAR § 1002-302. Referral for early intervention. (a) All local provider programs and, or, both EI service providers must enter referrals into the state-approved referral portal within two (2) business days of receipt of a referral of any infant and toddler from birth to thirty…

20 CAR § 1002-303. LEA referrals and notifications. (a)(1) If a child is referred to First Connections forty-five (45) days or fewer before the child’s third birthday, then the service coordinator must make a referral to the child’s LEA unless there is documented refusal of paren…

20 CAR § 1002-304. Transition plan in the IFSP. (a)(1) Each child exiting early intervention at any age and for any reason must have a transition plan developed with the family and included in the IFSP to support the child’s and family’s exit from early intervention. (2) For chil…

20 CAR § 1002-305. Transition conference. (a) A transition conference must be convened no later than ninety (90) days before the child’s third birthday. (b)(1) The only justifications for failing to hold the transition conference at least ninety (90) days before the child’s third…

20 CAR § 1002-306. Written notice. (a) Prior written notice must be sent to the parent at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the proposed action, meeting, or refusal to act described in the written notice, except in situations where more time is required under IDEA, Part C, s…

20 CAR § 1002-307. Notice of meeting outcome. (a) Written notice of meeting outcome must be sent to the parent as soon as possible but no later than seven (7) business days after any meeting. (b) Written notice of meeting outcome must be provided to the parent in their native lan…

20 CAR § 1002-308. Parental consent. (a)(1) A local provider program and, or, or both EI service provider must fully inform a parent in advance of all relevant information pertaining to the activity for which parental consent is sought, including without limitation: (A) A complet…

20 CAR § 1002-309. Exiting children. (a) Prior to the child’s and family’s exit from First Connections, the service providers on the IFSP team must ensure the following are entered into the child’s electronic record in the state-approved data system: (1) The reason for exit; (2) …

20 CAR § 1002-401. Program eligibility generally. (a)(1) Children suspected of having a developmental delay must be referred to the state's Part C early intervention program, First Connections, as soon as possible but no later than seven (7) calendar days after a delay is suspect…

20 CAR § 1002-402. Initial program eligibility. (a) Every child referred for early intervention forty-six (46) days (or more) prior to the child’s third birthday must have a CMDE as part of the initial program eligibility process. (b) The only exception to the CMDE requirement is…

20 CAR § 1002-403. Ongoing program eligibility. (a) The IFSP team (which includes the parent) must redetermine Part C program eligibility annually at the annual IFSP review. (b) Annual redetermination of program eligibility does not require an annual reevaluation and may be based…

20 CAR § 1002-404. Medically diagnosed condition likely to result in a developmental delay. (a) A child is program eligible with a medically diagnosed condition that has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay, including without limitation: (1) Down syndrome and …

20 CAR § 1002-405. Significant developmental delay. (a) A child is program eligible with a significant developmental delay documented by a score on the initial CMDE performed within the past six (6) months that indicates a delay of twenty-five percent (25%) of the child’s chronol…

20 CAR § 1002-406. Informed clinical opinion of the IFSP team only. (a) When a child does not meet program eligibility criteria in the MD or DD categories of program eligibility but there are still concerns about the child’s functioning and ability to participate and, or, or both…

20 CAR § 1002-407. Evaluations generally. (a)(1) Parental consent documented in the child’s electronic record in the state-approved data system is required prior to scheduling and conducting an evaluation. (2) Prior written notice is required prior to conducting an evaluation. (3…

20 CAR § 1002-408. Comprehensive multidisciplinary developmental evaluation (CMDE). (a) Every child referred to the First Connections Family Engagement Unit at least forty-six (46) calendar days prior to their third birthday or more must receive a complete CMDE that assesses the …

20 CAR § 1002-501. Natural environment service settings. (a) All evaluations must be provided in a child’s natural environment with familiar caregiver present and participating. (b)(1) All early intervention services listed on an initial IFSP must be performed in within typical c…