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Baton Rouge
Serving Baton Rouge, Louisiana (East Baton Rouge Parish)Vol. 1, No. 4
Government

State moves EarlySteps intake for infants and toddlers to regional offices

Government desk
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026In the Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026 edition

BATON ROUGE - Families seeking early intervention help for infants and toddlers will enter Louisiana's EarlySteps program through state regional offices instead of contracted vendors, the Louisiana Department of Health said Wednesday. Its Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disability Supports began the six-month switch in October and will finish it March 31, 2027, and services will continue without interruption, the department said.

EarlySteps serves children from birth through age 2. The department described the change as part of a "No Wrong Door" approach, in which referrals can come from any source but eligibility is decided in one place.

"Our goal is to make it easier for Louisiana families to connect with the services their children need," said OIDD Assistant Secretary Bernard Brown.

The release does not say which regional office serves East Baton Rouge Parish or which vendors handled intake until now.

Source: Louisiana Department of Health news release, Oct. 21, 2026, https://ldh.la.gov/news/earlysteps-regional

Drafted by AI from the linked public source. Approved by a Daily News Editor.

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