Children who suffer abuse or neglect, or have parents who suffer from mental health problems (especially maternal depression), substance abuse, or family violence, have as high a probability of experiencing developmental delays as do children with medical conditions that are automatically eligible for Part C services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Early intervention programs that deliver carefully designed interventions with well-defined goals can positively affect the development trajectories of infants and toddlers whose life course is threatened by disrupted parenting. A strong connection between the child welfare/child protection system and Part C is therefore needed to ensure access to early intervention services that can provide significant benefits to abused or neglected children. The authors describe recent federal legislation requiring that maltreated infants and toddlers be referred to early intervention services (the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 reauthorizing the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, and the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA). They outline possible state responses to this federal mandate and suggest ways in which infant-toddler professionals can assist policymakers to effectively implement the mandated referrals.