<p><strong>To the editor:</strong></p><p>The Arc of Indiana is committed to all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities realizing their goals of living, learning, working and fully participating in the community. The Arc of Indiana calls on Gov. Eric Holcomb to prioritize Indiana’s must vulnerable children this next legislative session by supporting increased funding for the First Steps program. Revenue generated from an increase in the cigarette tax can be utilized to provide increased resources for this vital program.</p><p>First Steps is Indiana’s early intervention program that serves children from birth to age 3 who have been born with or are at risk of having a developmental disability. The program currently serves over 26,000 children and delivers critical services, including developmental, physical, occupational and speech therapy. It is important to note that data from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study shows 46 percent of children who received early intervention services did not need special education services at kindergarten age.</p><p>Earlier this year the state called for a study and fiscal analysis of the First Steps program. The studies showed that the number of children being referred to and served by First Steps continues to increase and that the rates paid to providers of services needs to be increased to align with market salaries in order to prevent a decrease in services available to children.</p><p>For nearly a decade, reimbursement rates to First Steps providers have decreased, changes to the program have impacted the quality of services, and families find it increasingly difficult to receive services as providers choose to leave the program. In addition, the opioid epidemic is drastically increasing the number of infants and toddlers in need of services.</p><p>There is a solution to this issue. The revenue generated from an increase in the cigarette tax can be earmarked to fund health initiatives, including First Steps.</p><p>More than 13 percent of expectant mothers smoke in Indiana — two times the national average.</p><p>Twenty-four percent of expectant mothers who utilize Medicaid for their health care coverage smoke.</p><p>Decreasing maternal smoking will not only help the governor achieve his goal to lower Indiana’s infant mortality rate, it will also decrease the number of premature births and low birth weight babies who are then referred to the First Steps program.</p><p>The Arc of Indiana is re-committing itself to the initiative to increase the cigarette tax. What greater priority should our state have then caring for infants and toddlers in need of critical services to help them develop into healthy children. We stand firmly with the Raise It for Health alliance and call on our governor and legislators to make Hoosier’s health a priority by supporting an increase in the cigarette tax and directing that funding to health initiatives, including First Steps.</p><p><p><strong>Kim Dodson, executive director, The Arc of Indiana</strong></p>
