§ 2550. Responsibilities of lead agency. 1. The lead agency is
responsible for the general administration and supervision of programs
and activities receiving assistance under this title, and the monitoring
of programs and activities used by the state to carry out this title,
whether or not such programs or activities are receiving assistance made
available under this title, to ensure that the state complies with the
provisions of this title.

2. In meeting the requirements of subdivision one of this section, the
lead agency shall adopt and use proper methods of administering the
early intervention program, including:

(a) establishing standards for evaluators, service coordinators and
providers of early intervention services;

(b) approving, and periodically re-approving evaluators, service
coordinators and providers of early intervention services who meet
department standards; provided however that the department may require
that approved evaluators, service coordinators and providers of early
intervention services enter into agreements with the department in order
to conduct evaluations or render service coordination or early
intervention services in the early intervention program. Such agreements
shall set forth the terms and conditions of participation in the
program. If the department requires that such providers enter into
agreements with the department for participation in the program,
"approval" or "approved" as used in this title shall mean a provider who
is approved by the department in accordance with department regulations
and has entered into an agreement with the department for the provision
of evaluations, service coordination or early intervention services. The
department shall use best efforts to ensure provider capacity in the
early intervention program.

(c) monitoring of agencies, institutions and organizations under this
title and agencies, institutions and organizations providing early
intervention services which are under the jurisdiction of a state early
intervention service agency;

(d) enforcing any obligations imposed on those agencies under this
title or Part H of the federal individuals with disabilities education
act and its regulations;

(e) providing training and technical assistance to those agencies,
institutions and organizations, including initial and ongoing training
and technical assistance to municipalities to help enable them to
identify, locate and evaluate eligible children, develop IFSPs, ensure
the provision of appropriate early intervention services, promote the
development of new services, where there is a demonstrated need for such
services and afford procedural safeguards to infants and toddlers and
their families;

(f) correcting deficiencies that are identified through monitoring;
and

(g) in monitoring early intervention services, the commissioner shall
provide municipalities with the results of any review of early
intervention services undertaken and shall provide the municipalities
with the opportunity to comment thereon.

3. The commissioner, through a comprehensive system of personnel
development, shall promote the availability of qualified personnel to
provide evaluations and early intervention services to eligible children
and their families.