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State promotes Sparkler app as free tool to identify developmental delays and connect families to services
Summary
Connecticut officials said the Sparkler developmental-screening app is now free to all families and has helped tens of thousands of parents identify developmental concerns and connect to Birth-to-3 services; the program budget is roughly $2 million per year for child-find activities, officials said.
State officials described Sparkler—a parent-facing developmental screening app—during testimony before a subcommittee, saying the tool has been made free to all Connecticut families and has connected thousands to early intervention services.
Agency staff said the app helps parents do self-guided developmental screens, receive activities to support development, and obtain referrals when a child’s screening flags concerns. Officials provided an example of a family whose child’s language delay was identified through Sparkler; the child was referred to Help Me Grow and Birth-to-3 services and is now receiving supports.
Staff said the state was previously paying a per-child fee during the COVID period, then made the service free for all families. They estimated “tens of thousands” of parents use Sparkler each year and described the program as a “child find” tool that helps identify children with developmental needs earlier and routes them to assessment and services.
Committee members asked about costs and durability. The commissioner said the ongoing budget for Sparkler and related child-find activities is roughly $2 million (presented as under $2 million or about $2,000,000 in testimony), and officials argued that early detection can link children earlier to Birth-to-3 and reduce later unmet need.
Ending: Officials said they would provide background documents and usage figures to the committee and highlighted Sparkler as one of several tools intended to improve early identification and family access to services.
