(325 ILCS 20/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 4157)
    Sec. 7. Essential Components of the Statewide Service System. As required by federal laws and regulations, a statewide system of coordinated, comprehensive, interagency and interdisciplinary programs shall be established and maintained. The framework of the statewide system shall be based on the components set forth in this Section. This framework shall be used for planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation of the statewide system of locally based early intervention services.
    The statewide system shall include, at a minimum:
        (a) a definition of the term "developmentally
    
delayed", in accordance with the definition in Section 3, that will be used in Illinois in carrying out programs under this Act;
        (b) timetables for ensuring that appropriate early
    
intervention services will be available to all eligible infants and toddlers in this State after the effective date of this Act;
        (c) a timely, comprehensive and interdisciplinary
    
evaluation of the functioning of each infant and toddler with suspected disabilities in this State and the concerns, priorities and resource needs of the families to appropriately assist in the development of the infant and toddler with disabilities;
        (d) for each eligible infant and toddler, an
    
Individualized Family Service Plan, including case management services;
        (e) a comprehensive child find system, consistent
    
with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 United States Code 1411 through 1420), which includes timelines and provides for participation by primary referral sources;
        (f) a public awareness program focusing on early
    
identification of eligible infants and toddlers;
        (g) a central directory which includes early
    
intervention services, resources, and experts available in this State and early intervention research and demonstration projects being conducted in this State;
        (h) a comprehensive system of personnel development;
        (i) a policy pertaining to the contracting or making
    
of other arrangements with public and private service providers to provide early intervention services in this State, consistent with the provisions of this Act, including the contents of the application used and the conditions of the contract or other arrangements;
        (j) a procedure for securing timely reimbursement of
    
funds;
        (k) procedural safeguards with respect to programs
    
under this Act;
        (l) policies and procedures relating to the
    
establishment and maintenance of standards to ensure that personnel necessary to carry out this Act are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained;
        (m) a system of evaluation of, and compliance with,
    
program standards;
        (n) a system for compiling data on the numbers of
    
eligible infants and toddlers and their families in this State in need of appropriate early intervention services; the numbers served; the types of services provided; and other information required by the State or federal government; and
        (o) a single line of responsibility in a lead agency
    
designated by the Governor to carry out its responsibilities as required by this Act.
    In addition to these required components, linkages may be established within a local community area among the prenatal initiatives affording services to high risk pregnant women. Additional linkages among at risk programs and local literacy programs may also be established.
    Within 60 days of the effective date of this Act, a five-fiscal-year implementation plan shall be submitted to the Governor by the lead agency with the concurrence of the Interagency Council on Early Intervention. The plan shall list specific activities to be accomplished each year, with cost estimates for each activity. No later than the second Monday in July of each year thereafter, the lead agency shall, with the concurrence of the Interagency Council, submit to the Governor's Office a report on accomplishments of the previous year and a revised list of activities for the remainder of the five-fiscal-year plan, with cost estimates for each. The Governor shall certify that specific activities in the plan for the previous year have been substantially completed before authorizing relevant State or local agencies to implement activities listed in the revised plan that depend substantially upon completion of one or more of the earlier activities.
(Source: P.A. 87-680.)