Find your next step in North Carolina

Start with the question you need answered

Use the section that matches your child's age and needs. A referral, a waitlist entry and a scholarship application are separate steps. Each program makes its own eligibility decision. NCDHHS Infant-Toddler Program: eligibility and referrals NC Medicaid Innovations Waiver waitlist NCSEAA ESA+ program update, September 2, 2026

This guide covers sources checked on September 12, 2026. It does not confirm your child's eligibility, a service opening or an insurance benefit. Use it to prepare questions for the responsible agency. It is not medical or legal advice.

Before age 3: contact the Infant-Toddler Program

North Carolina's Infant-Toddler Program serves eligible children younger than 3 who have a developmental delay or an established condition. The Children's Developmental Services Agency (CDSA) decides eligibility. NCDHHS Infant-Toddler Program: eligibility and referrals

Contact your local CDSA by phone, email, fax, letter or its referral form. Anyone with a concern may refer a child. A referral does not require parental consent, but the program needs a parent's permission for the evaluation. NCDHHS Infant-Toddler Program: eligibility and referrals NCDHHS Infant-Toddler Program FAQ

Evaluation and service coordination are free. Other services use a sliding fee scale based on the family's ability to pay. A family deemed unable to pay cannot be denied needed services. The program asks permission before billing insurance. Ask the coordinator to explain any proposed charge and help plan the transition when your child turns 3. NCDHHS Infant-Toddler Program FAQ

School evaluation: send a written referral

Send a written referral describing your concerns and your child's strengths and needs to the principal, teacher or another school professional. For a preschool child, contact the staff responsible for preschool special education. Keep a copy and ask the school to confirm its receipt date. NCDPI Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, March 2021 NCDPI Project Child Find flyer

The usual deadline is 90 calendar days after the school receives the written referral. That period covers evaluation and eligibility, plus an individualized education program (IEP) and placement if the child is eligible. Informed parental consent is required before the initial evaluation. NCDPI Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, March 2021

Exceptions apply when a parent repeatedly fails or refuses to make the child available or respond to a request for consent. A transfer before eligibility is determined qualifies only if the new district makes sufficient progress and agrees with the parent on a specific completion date. NCDPI Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, March 2021

Child Find includes children in private schools and home schools. For a parentally placed private-school child, contact the public school unit where that private school is located. Parents may also request an evaluation from their district of residence. Home-school families can contact their local public school unit about Child Find. NCDPI Project Child Find flyer

DPI currently links policies printed in March 2021. The deadline above comes from that document, not a newly issued 2026 handbook. Ask the school to identify any exception it believes applies to your child. NCDPI current policies and procedures index NCDPI Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, March 2021

Innovations: ask the county office about the waitlist

Contact the local management entity/managed care organization (LME/MCO) serving your county about the Innovations Waiver waitlist. Ask it to confirm the application date and keep your contact information current. Tell the office when support needs change. NC Medicaid Innovations Waiver waitlist

Slots generally go to people who have waited longest, with some reserved for defined situations. A statewide count or a place on the list does not predict when your child will receive a slot. NC Medicaid says an exact wait cannot be predicted. NC Medicaid Innovations Waiver waitlist

Ask about 1915(i) while waiting

NC Medicaid says 1915(i) has no enrollment waitlist. It still requires an eligible condition, an eligible Medicaid plan, an assessment and a service plan. No enrollment waitlist does not establish that a provider can start immediately. Receiving 1915(i) services does not change a person's Innovations waitlist position. NC Medicaid Innovations Waiver waitlist NC Medicaid 1915(i) eligibility NC Medicaid: how to get 1915(i) services

The listed coverage routes are a Tailored Plan, NC Medicaid Direct or the EBCI Tribal Option. Standard Plans do not provide 1915(i). People already receiving Innovations or TBI Waiver services cannot also receive 1915(i). Call the health plan or care manager to request an assessment and ask which rules apply. NC Medicaid 1915(i) eligibility NC Medicaid: how to get 1915(i) services

CAP/C: a separate route for medical fragility

The Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C) serves medically fragile and medically complex children ages 0 through 20. Eligibility requires an institutional level of care and an assessed need for a covered waiver service. Medicaid eligibility, the program's medical criteria and an available waiver slot also apply. An autism diagnosis alone does not establish eligibility. NC Medicaid Community Alternatives Program for Children NC Medicaid CAP/C clinical coverage policy 3K-1

Ask the CAP/C case management agency in your county for a referral, or call 833-522-5429. Ask county social services about the Medicaid application and CAP/C financial assessment. NC Medicaid accepts applications through ePASS and county Departments of Social Services (DSS). NC Medicaid Community Alternatives Program for Children NC Medicaid application routes NCDHHS MA-3260 Community Alternatives Programs financial policy

The currently linked MA-3260 policy says CAP budgeting counts the applicant's income without parent-to-child financial responsibility, beginning in the month CAP is approved. Resource rules and a possible monthly deductible still apply. Ask DSS to calculate your child's case. This policy is printed as revised July 1, 2020; the September 2026 check does not change its publication date. NCDHHS MA-3260 Community Alternatives Programs financial policy NCDHHS Family and Children Medicaid policy index

ESA+: check the year, documents and school arrangement

The final 2026-27 award acceptance deadline has passed. NCSEAA's September 2, 2026 notice says the final offers went out August 21 and the last acceptance deadline was September 11. That deadline had passed when this guide was checked on September 12. The notice says applications for 2027-28 will open on the first Monday in February. NCSEAA ESA+ program update, September 2, 2026

The statute permits up to $9,000 per year for full-time students, or up to $17,000 for students who meet the higher-award criteria. The part-time maximums are $4,500 and $8,500. Autism or another listed disability must appear as the primary or secondary disability on the required eligibility determination for the higher amount. These are conditional maximums, not an award promise. North Carolina General Statute 115C-592: ESA+ awards NCSEAA K12 eligibility requirements for 2026-2027

NCSEAA requires an eligibility determination issued within the past 3 years by a North Carolina public school or a Department of Defense school located in North Carolina. A 504 plan or a doctor's diagnosis letter does not replace it. The 2026-27 eligibility sheet also lists age, residency and school-status requirements. Confirm the next cycle's rules before applying. NCSEAA ESA+ disability documentation NCSEAA K12 eligibility requirements for 2026-2027

A student may use ESA+ with an Opportunity Scholarship only if eligible and awarded both and enrolled in a Direct Payment School. Opportunity funds pay tuition and fees first. ESA+ can then cover eligible remaining costs. A full-time home-school arrangement cannot receive the Opportunity Scholarship. NCSEAA Opportunity Scholarship payment process NCSEAA ESA+ school categories

Co-enrollment needs a separate check. Public-school classes depend on district policy, and part-time public enrollment reduces the ESA+ award. NCSEAA generally excludes full-time public enrollment but mentions rare exceptions. Its school-category page also discusses out-of-district public-school costs. Confirm the exact arrangement with NCSEAA before changing enrollment or relying on a payment. NCSEAA ESA+ co-enrollment NCSEAA ESA+ school categories

Insurance questions: ask who regulates the plan

For policy questions or complaint help, call the North Carolina Department of Insurance at 855-408-1212. Ask which agency has authority over your plan. The department can help with plans under North Carolina law and direct you elsewhere when it lacks regulatory authority. NCDOI assistance and complaint help

Smart NC offers free help filing complaints about self-insured health plans, including the State Health Plan. NCDOI does not regulate these plans, but it can still help with a complaint. CMS also directs people with self-insured employer coverage to the U.S. Department of Labor at 866-444-3272. NCDOI Smart NC help with self-insured plan complaints NCDOI assistance form: services and limits CMS North Carolina Consumer Assistance

What this guide does not establish

This review did not establish a current statewide autism-therapy dollar cap or a coverage rule that applies to every insurance plan. Check the actual policy and its regulator before relying on a benefit limit. NCDOI assistance and complaint help

This review did not establish county-level therapy availability, rural waiting times or a predicted Innovations wait for an individual child. Ask the relevant program or provider about its current capacity. NC Medicaid Innovations Waiver waitlist