Data from the CDC shows 1 in 6 children ages 3 to 17 have a developmental disability. In Lexington, a nonprofit is helping families navigate some of the most important learning moments in a child's life.Kentucky's Early Interven tion System or KEIS used to be known as First Steps. While the name has changed, the services provided are still the same. New Vista in Lexington operates KEIS services.According to the CDC, about 17% of children ages 3 through 17 have one or more developmental disabilities.Angie Casey, program director for KEIS at New Vista, said families do not have to wait to seek help if they have concerns about their child's development."I wish families knew that if they have concerns that they don't have to just wait and see if they're going to outgrow it, that there's resources here to help now," she said.Casey said the program is open to anyone and accepts referrals from a variety of sources."Our program is completely voluntary. Anybody can make a referral to our program. We get a lot of referrals from pediatricians or childcare facilities, but our number one referral source is just parents," Casey said.Erin Waller is a lead service coordinator with the KEIS program and also a parent who has seen the program work firsthand. She said parents can reach out directly if they have concerns about their child."If you have any concerns that your child who is under the age of 3 is not meeting their milestones," Waller said. "Maybe they're not talking as much as you would expect or walking, or maybe some of their behaviors are a little bit more challenging than what you expected, you can call us and self-refer, and we will do a screening in what we call the natural environment."Waller said she understands the emotional weight parents carry when their child is not meeting milestones."It's hard when you realize your kid's not meeting a milestone, and it's even harder when you realize they might not ever meet a certain milestone," she said. "And what do you do with that? Where do you go with that? And you know, I don't know what the future holds for my youngest yet. We are still waiting to find out if she's in preschool or not. But I know that I can figure it out, and I know that I can do that from being coached, from being taught. That my voice does matter."During the program, staff typically conduct screenings, determine eligibility and then coordinate support and services for families.Casey said getting children enrolled earlier in the process leads to better outcomes."Our number one referral age range right now is about 2, and our program ends at 3. So that only gives us about a year to work with them," Casey said. "So if we can get children in earlier, when parents first start having that question, should they be crawling now? Should they be saying words now, go ahead and make that referral, and we can do a screening and help you out."The program offers free screenings, evaluations and assessments, but services beyond that could carry a cost. Waller said parents remain in control throughout the process."They have the right to make decisions for their child, so it's a voluntary program," she said. "We review evaluation results with them or screening results, so that they can make an informed decision for their family because as much as there's a stigma attached to like getting services, sometimes there's a stigma attached to too much, you know, some parents need a little bit more time."Casey said the program draws on multiple funding sources to cover the cost of services."We are funded. We have federal dollars, state dollars, Medicaid, private insurance, and then a family share fee based on income," she said.Casey said cost is not a barrier for families who need help."There's lots of different ways to pay for our services and if they have an inability to pay, we can make arrangements so that they can still get the services that they need," she said.Waller said the goal of the program is straightforward."We want parents to know how to address the concerns that they have for their children and we do that by meeting them where they're at in their home," Waller said.For more information about the KEIS program, click here.Ana Medina is committed to covering stories in your community that matter to you. If you have an idea, reach out to her at [email protected] ...read more read less