Sarpy County, where Bellevue sits, falls into the same Early Development Network planning region as Omaha, so families referring a child under three connect through the Educational Service Unit 3 office. Bellevue Public Schools is the primary district for most of the city, while a small piece of Bellevue actually falls inside neighboring Papillion-La Vista Community Schools' boundary, so it's worth checking which one covers your address.

This page gathers the referral numbers and web pages for those doors, plus the DHHS office that Douglas and Sarpy county families both use for longer-term Medicaid disability supports.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Nebraska page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Bellevue (Sarpy County).

Early intervention under 3: Nebraska Early Development Network (EDN) — Sarpy County / Rural Omaha Planning Region

Sarpy County, including Bellevue, sits within Nebraska's Rural Omaha Planning Region for Part C early intervention, grouped with Douglas and Washington counties and served through Educational Service Unit 3's regional office. A parent, doctor, or other concerned adult can start a referral for a child under three without needing a diagnosis first, and a Services Coordinator works with the family from there to arrange an evaluation and, if eligible, an Individualized Family Service Plan.

• Nebraska Early Development Network (EDN) — Sarpy County / Rural Omaha Planning Region
• Referral phone: 1-888-806-6287

New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.

School districts and special education

Bellevue Public Schools' Special Education Department serves students from birth through the school year they turn 21, building an Individual Family Service Plan or Individual Education Program with families as needed. Because Sarpy County's district lines don't follow the city limits exactly, a small slice of Bellevue is actually zoned into Papillion-La Vista Community Schools, so confirming which district serves a given address is worth doing before requesting an evaluation.

• Bellevue Public Schools — Special Education Department, 402-293-4000; serves over 1,900 students receiving special education services
• Papillion-La Vista Community Schools — covers most of Papillion and La Vista plus small portions of Bellevue; Student Services 402-537-6214

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Bellevue

We have not yet verified a hospital or university evaluation program with public intake information in Bellevue. That is a gap in our research, not a sign there is nothing here — and it does not stand between you and an evaluation. The school district evaluation above is free, and early intervention under 3 does not need a private diagnosis first.

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: Nebraska DHHS — Division of Developmental Disabilities, Douglas-Sarpy office

DHHS's Division of Developmental Disabilities covers Sarpy County alongside Douglas County out of an Omaha office, coordinating case management, eligibility determination, and access to Medicaid's home- and community-based waivers. Families apply through the state's iServe portal, and DHHS assigns a family support, day services, or comprehensive waiver depending on a needs assessment rather than a fixed waitlist position.

• Nebraska DHHS — Division of Developmental Disabilities, Douglas-Sarpy office
• Phone: 402-417-3461

Local organizations that help Bellevue families

We have not yet verified a local parent organization in Bellevue. Statewide help still covers you: the Nebraska guide lists the federally funded parent center and the free disability rights organization for the whole state, and both take calls from families anywhere in Nebraska.

Documented waits and access notes

Wait times change. Each note below links to the public source it came from — confirm current status directly with the program.

• Nebraska Department of Education guidance tells Bellevue Public Schools to finish an evaluation within whichever comes first of 45 school days or 60 calendar days from the date a parent signs consent. (source)
• For a Sarpy County referral, the Early Development Network is required to finish screening, evaluation, and the first IFSP meeting inside 45 calendar days of the referral date, the same clock Educational Service Unit 3 works under for the whole Rural Omaha Planning Region. (source)