SC audit: Program to reach disabled babies faulted

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A state audit shows that South Carolina’s system of finding and helping infants and toddlers with disabilities is not reaching enough children and doesn’t properly monitor those who provide the services.

The Legislative Audit Council released its report Wednesday on the program called BabyNet, a federal and state program administered for nearly two years by First Steps to School Readiness, the state agency that helps prepare children for school.

The audit says the program is supposed to seek out, identify and help those with developmental problems such as in speech, hearing, vision and motor skills.

But the report says the program isn’t finding children in rural areas who may be eligible for services and also lacks a program to tell people about how they can get services for their children.