Babies Can’t Wait is a national early intervention program, established under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), designed to support children from birth to age three with developmental delays and their families. This program helps families identify community resources to meet their child’s developmental needs and offers a comprehensive 5-area developmental evaluation. Services include speech, occupational and physical therapy, and specialized instruction, ensuring that all eligible children, regardless of disability, have access to resources that promote their growth. For more details on IDEA and national early childhood initiatives, visit the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.

The Babies Can’t Wait program uses a case management model guided by an Individualized Family Service Plan, a holistic plan written with input by the child’s medical providers, family and relevant therapists. Babies Can’t Wait staff and providers provide information and therapeutic services to parents about their children’s medical/developmental conditions, training them to daily care to their child within their natural environment.

For more information, click here or call Cobb & Douglas Public Health at 770-514-2300.

Babies Can’t Wait

Success Story

Caroline Whaley thrives in her multifaceted roles as a wife, mother, economic developer, and civic leader, even having the unforgettable experience of singing the National Anthem for the Chicago Cubs. But in 2007, her world was turned upside down when an unforeseen event placed her family on a challenging path.

During a family vacation in Florida, Caroline’s newborn son, Miles, suddenly turned blue and limp in her arms. Despite being CPR certified, panic overtook her as she desperately handed him to her sister, pleading for help. Miraculously, Miles was revived, but this terrifying experience was just the beginning, as he would need resuscitation 18 more times over the next year and a half.

Miles was diagnosed with reflux, a condition where stomach acid silently stopped his heart. Facing overwhelming medical costs and lifetime insurance maximums, the Whaley’s discovered the Babies Can’t Wait program at Cobb & Douglas Public Health. Initially hesitant due to their insurance coverage, they soon realized the program was essential. It provided Medicaid assistance, supported insurance claims, and connected them to vital therapies, leading to Miles’s full recovery.

Caroline’s gratitude turned into action as she later chaired the Cobb Health Futures’ 2014 campaign, rallying support to sustain crucial public health programs. Her efforts encouraged generous donations to the Cobb & Douglas Health Foundation, ensuring continued community health services.

Thank you, Caroline, for your invaluable contributions and dedication to the Cobb & Douglas Health Foundation!