The department shall establish and administer a program of services for physically defective or handicapped persons under the age of 21 years, in cooperation with the federal government through its appropriate agency or instrumentality, for the purpose of developing, extending and improving the services. The department shall receive all funds made available to it by the federal government, the state, its political subdivisions or from other sources. The department shall have power to supervise those services included in the state plan that are not directly administered by the state. The department shall cooperate with the medical, health, nursing and welfare groups and organizations concerned with the program, and any agency of the state charged with the administration of laws providing for vocational rehabilitation of physically handicapped children.
The reference to “the age of 21 years” in this section is unaffected by Section 1 of Chapter 1748 of the Statutes of 1971 or any other provision of that chapter.