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

• Date: 01 March 2014
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.12019
• Author: Lynne F. Katz,Cindy S. Lederman,Mary Anne Ullery
• Published date: 01 March 2014

Realizing the Promise of Well-Being:

Longitudinal Research from an Effective Early

Intervention Program for Substance Exposed

Babies and Toddlers Identifies

Essential Components

By Lynne F. Katz, Ed.D., Mary Anne Ullery, Ed.D., and Judge Cindy S. Lederman

ABSTRACT

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 devel-

opmental 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.

Dr. Lynne Katz is a Research Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics at

the University of Miami. She is the Director of the University’s Linda Ray Intervention Center for high risk

children ages 0-3 who were born prenatally drug exposed and/or were victims of child maltreatment. Since

1993, she has coordinated the program’s comprehensive early intervention services for over 1000 infants and

toddlers and their families.

Dr. Mary Anne Ullery has been the Research Director at the University of Miami’s Linda Ray

Intervention Center in the Department of Psychology since 2006. Her research focuses on effective early

intervention for children prenatally exposed to cocaine ages 0-3, developmental outcomes of children from

high-risk environments, and children in the child welfare system. She has published several journal articles

on early intervention for children who are high-risk and/or are in the child welfare system.

Elected to the bench in 1988, Judge Cindy S. Lederman has served in the Miami-Dade Juvenile

Court since 1994, including a decade as the court’s presiding judge. Judge Lederman’s interest in bringing

science and research into the courtroom results from her 10-year involvement with the National Research

Council and Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences. Judge Lederman has served as

president of the National Association of Women Judges, faculty member of the National Judicial College,

member of the ABA House of Delegates, and member of the Board of Trustees of the National Council of

Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Judge Lederman graduated with high honors from the University of

bs_bs_banner

Juvenile and Family Court Journal 65, No. 2 (Spring) 1

© 2014 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges