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SDLA Compliance Resource

Ensure an Eligible Part C Child Has an IEP Implemented by the Third Birthday

A shared Early Start-to-preschool countdown that coordinates referral, records, transition conference, consent, assessment, eligibility, IEP development, placement, and actual service start.

  • Special Education
  • Early Childhood
  • Transition
Date(s)Transition conference generally 90 days—and up to 9 months—before the third birthday; for an eligible child, the IEP must be developed and implemented by the third birthday, subject to limited federal exceptions
Applies toChildren transitioning from IDEA Part C Early Start services to potentially eligible IDEA Part B preschool services

In Plain Language: The third birthday is a service boundary, not a planning start date. Part C, the LEA, and the family must coordinate early enough to complete referral, consent, assessment, eligibility, IEP, placement, and service arrangements without a gap.

Why this matters

A timely meeting without an available classroom, provider, transportation, device, or consented plan does not produce a timely transition.

Joint ownership

Sending partner: Part C service coordinator/regional center. Receiving owner: LEA child-find/early-childhood special education lead. Team: family, assessors, providers, program/transportation staff, and receiving teacher.

From Part C notification to the first service: the SDLA ITO workflow

The third birthday is a service boundary, not a planning start date. This SDLA ITO (Input, Transformation, Output) graphic shows how the Part C notification, the child's IFSP and records, and family priorities become the timeline tracker, the eligibility and IEP records, the readiness checklist, and first-service verification.

SDLA ITO: eleven steps from the Part C notification, the child's IFSP and records, and family priorities, through the birthday countdown, the transition conference, eligibility and IEP development, and readiness checks, to the timeline tracker, the eligibility and IEP records, the readiness checklist, and first-service verification.
Read down each column, then move to the next: Input identifies what to collect; Transformation covers the birthday countdown, the transition conference, eligibility and IEP development, and readiness checks; Output covers the timeline tracker, the eligibility and IEP records, the readiness checklist, and first-service verification. For an eligible child, the IEP must be developed and implemented by the third birthday, subject to limited federal exceptions.

Open the full-size workflow graphic

Operational workflow

  1. Build a birthday countdown from Part C notification/referral; identify the responsible LEA and secure records/consent.
  2. Participate in the transition conference and align assessment with the child's IFSP information, native language, family priorities, and all suspected needs.
  3. Complete eligibility and develop the IEP with placement, services, transportation, AT, and start date before the birthday.
  4. Confirm staff, site, schedule, provider, records, supplies, and family communication; verify actual first service.

Age-three countdown

9–3 months before: Notification, planning, and transition conference window.
Early enough for state clocks: Referral, plan, consent, assessment, eligibility, and IEP.
Before birthday: Placement, provider, transport, technology, and schedule ready.
Third birthday: Eligible child's IEP implemented, subject to limited exceptions.

Evidence to retain

  • Birthday/timeline tracker and Part C notification
  • Transition conference and family participation
  • Consent, assessment, eligibility, and IEP records
  • Placement/service/transport/AT readiness checklist
  • First-service verification and exception documentation if applicable

Official guidance and help

Source review completed August 30, 2026. Verify current federal and California law, court or OAH instructions, local SELPA procedures, individual circumstances, and the exact service and records state before acting.