MAYVILLE — Costs are on the rise for a program assisting infants and toddlers with disabilities as county legislators approved budget changes to cover increased expenses Wednesday.

County legislators on the Human Services Committee approved to move excess funds within the Health and Human Services Department to cover additional hours and expenditures associated with the Early Intervention program. Those who are eligible to receive assistance from the program are under 3 years of age and have a confirmed disability or established developmental delay as defined by the state. Therapeutic and support services are offered to eligible infants and toddlers and their families.

Christine Schuyler, public health director, told legislators the county is charged for children who Medicaid doesn’t cover and those who don’t have private insurance. Schuyler said every county in the state is mandated to pay a portion of the costs for children in those situations.

“The state fiscal agent contracts with early intervention providers and does all the billing,” Schuyler said. “Anything that’s left over is charged back to the counties. Those costs are increasing, (and) one reason is because we have more children and more cases in early intervention.”

Schuyler said another factor contributing to the increase is the state fiscal agent isn’t doing an aggressive job as the county did in managing the program and billing payers to make sure the reimbursement is maximized.

“That unfortunately does fall back down then onto the local governments to have to pay if you’re not maximizing your reimbursement,” Schuyler said. “(The matter) has been taken up by the New York State Association for County Health Officials and New York State Association of Counties. It hasn’t gone anywhere, but that is an added cost we feel we see at the county level.”

Committee members approved a resolution to amend the 2016 budget to shift $76,216 in excess department funds to cover additional work hours provided for the Early Intervention program. Legislators also approved a resolution to move $150,000 from leftover Social Services expenditures and revenue through the New York State Juvenile Delinquent Program to cover medical and health services costs within the program.

Planning and Economic Development Committee members accepted an environmental assessment for projects awarded occupancy tax funds during Wednesday’s meeting. Dave McCoy, county watershed coordinator, said the assessments found minimal potential or adverse environmental impacts. Projects include work on portions of Bournes, Bemus, Canadaway, Mud, Slippery Rock, Goose and Walnut creeks.

The resolutions will be considered by the Audit and Control Committee today before going to the full County Legislature at next week’s meeting.