Governor sidesteps formula change that activists say is sorely needed

Justin Murphy and Nancy Cutler

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY NETWORK

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul last week signed legislation to increase funding for Early Intervention services for young children with developmental delays and also pledged a major funding increase for specialized schools serving children with disabilities.

• The Covered Lives for Early Intervention bill had strong support from education advocates in Rochester and across the state. It creates a $40 million fund to cover Early Intervention claims from providers and forces private insurers, who historically have denied the vast majority of claims, to pay into it.