§ 2550. Responsibilities of lead agency. 1. The lead agency is responsible for the general administration and supervision of programs and activities receiving assistance under this title, and the monitoring of programs and activities used by the state to carry out this title, whether or not such programs or activities are receiving assistance made available under this title, to ensure that the state complies with the provisions of this title. 2. In meeting the requirements of subdivision one of this section, the lead agency shall adopt and use proper methods of administering the early intervention program, including:

(a) establishing standards for evaluators, service coordinators and providers of early intervention services;

(b) approving, and periodically re-approving evaluators, service coordinators and providers of early intervention services who meet department standards; provided however that the department may require that approved evaluators, service coordinators and providers of early intervention services enter into agreements with the department in order to conduct evaluations or render service coordination or early intervention services in the early intervention program. Such agreements shall set forth the terms and conditions of participation in the program. If the department requires that such providers enter into agreements with the department for participation in the program, "approval" or "approved" as used in this title shall mean a provider who is approved by the department in accordance with department regulations and has entered into an agreement with the department for the provision of evaluations, service coordination or early intervention services. The department shall use best efforts to ensure provider capacity in the early intervention program.

(c) monitoring of agencies, institutions and organizations under this title and agencies, institutions and organizations providing early intervention services which are under the jurisdiction of a state early intervention service agency;

(d) enforcing any obligations imposed on those agencies under this title or Part H of the federal individuals with disabilities education act and its regulations;

(e) providing training and technical assistance to those agencies, institutions and organizations, including initial and ongoing training and technical assistance to municipalities to help enable them to identify, locate and evaluate eligible children, develop IFSPs, ensure the provision of appropriate early intervention services, promote the development of new services, where there is a demonstrated need for such services and afford procedural safeguards to infants and toddlers and their families;

(f) correcting deficiencies that are identified through monitoring; and

(g) in monitoring early intervention services, the commissioner shall provide municipalities with the results of any review of early intervention services undertaken and shall provide the municipalities with the opportunity to comment thereon. 3. The commissioner, through a comprehensive system of personnel development, shall promote the availability of qualified personnel to provide evaluations and early intervention services to eligible children and their families.