This book provides a comprehensive guide to the collaborative development and implementation of local interagency councils to coordinate services for young children with disabilities, as required by Public Law 99-457, Part H. Section I presents five chapters on foundations for interagency collaboration. Chapter 1 reviews collaboration as a part of shifting paradigms, legislation, and history. Chapter 2 specifies the means to assess the readiness of local groups to collaborate. Chapter 3 defines the stages of cooperation, coordination, and collaboration. Chapters 4 and 5 present a model for local interagency councils. Section II focuses on creating a local interagency council in three chapters. Chapter 6 reviews varied leadership parameters and emphasizes the concept of shared decision-making. Chapter 7 describes the nature of group processes as related to the productivity of the interagency council. Chapter 8 offers specific guidelines for the creation of a new local interagency council. Section III focuses on council activities and outcomes. The chapters in this section address: organizational and procedural activities; information sharing activities; the existing service delivery system; guidelines on coordination of agency services; coordinating parent services and staff development; case management; interagency collaboration activities; and evaluation of interagency councils. The final section contains two chapters which provide specifics on local financing of early intervention services and discuss contracts and written agreements. (References accompany each chapter.) (DB)