Realizing the Promise of Well-Being: Longitudinal Research from an Effective Early Intervention Program for Substance Exposed Babies and Toddlers Identifies Essential Components

The University of Miami Linda Ray Intervention Program (LRIP) is a Part C early intervention program for children under the age of three, with verified developmental delays located in Miami-Dade County that has established a strong link and referral process from the Juvenile Court as well as local community-based care agencies. Creating a system where early intervention communicates well with the court system is paramount in changing the well-being trajectories of these vulnerable children. This article describes the growing need for early intervention services as well as the results of one successful early intervention-court partnership that has shown promising short and long-term results for developmentally-delayed children who were born prenatally exposed to cocaine.