Baby boom months sure to bring new littles to Early Steps North Beaches

They may not present themselves with ground tremors or baby-powder breezes, but August and September are the busiest months for births.

Did you know that Easterseals offers direct services to little ones ages birth to 3 years and their families? The program is Early Steps North Beaches, and it’s part of a statewide system of early intervention services for families with infants and toddlers who are not reaching age-appropriate milestones.

Early Steps is a Florida Department of Health program overseen locally by Easterseals of Northeast Central Florida. Within the program is Early Steps North Beaches, which serves Volusia, Flagler, Lake, Sumter, and Putnam county families. Annually, more than 2,500 children ages birth to 3 years are referred to Early Steps North Beaches by hospitals, physicians, community agencies and even parents themselves.
 
Easterseals staff and volunteers operate the program in multiple locations and positions, to include service coordinators, speech therapists, development specialist and administrative management and support. At Early Steps, early intervention is provided to support families and caregivers to empower them to help their children learn developmentally appropriate skills where they live learn and play. Thus, most Early Steps interventions are home visits.
 
The purpose of Early Steps North Beach is to ensure that families of children with disabilities are equipped to enhance the development of their children within their everyday routines, activities and places. 
 
Early Steps North Beaches is funded by federal resources made available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and is used after Medicaid, private insurance and third-party funds have been applied. Evaluation of prospective families includes an examination of the child’s physical domains, cognitive abilities, gross and fine-motor skills, communication abilities, social and emotional development and self-help skills.  
 
Interested in learning more about Early Steps North Beaches? Those with questions about Early Steps and caregivers are seeking an evaluation for their child can contact one of the Early Steps office below for a referral and to set up an evaluation appointment. Evaluations are provided at no cost to families.
 
Early Steps North Beaches
1673 Mason Ave., Ste 100
Daytona Beach, FL 32117
386-873-0365
Toll-free 877-255-4568
 
Early Steps DeLand
156 McGregor Road
DeLand, FL 32720
386-873-3658
 
Early Steps Bunnell
301 Justice Lane
Bunnell, FL 32110
386-254-1248
 
Early Steps Lake, Sumter, Putnam
1300 Citizens Blvd., Suite 300
Leesburg, FL 34748
352-323-0612

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