What is the New York Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Developmental Delays?

If your child has experienced a birth injury or shows signs of developmental delay, understanding what support is available can feel overwhelming. The New York Early Intervention Program (EIP) is a statewide system designed specifically to help families in this situation. This program provides crucial services to infants and toddlers who need extra support during the most critical years of brain development.

The EIP operates under both New York State law (Article 25 of the Public Health Law) and federal law (Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA). What this means in practical terms is that the program has legal protections and standardized requirements to ensure eligible children receive the help they need.

Why Early Intervention Services Matter for Child Development

The period from birth to age three represents a unique window in human development. During these years, a child’s brain develops faster than at any other time in life, forming millions of neural connections every second. This rapid growth means that interventions during this period can have a profound and lasting impact.

When developmental challenges are identified and addressed early, children often make gains that wouldn’t be possible if treatment was delayed until preschool or school age. Research consistently shows that early intervention leads to measurable improvements in language skills, motor coordination, cognitive abilities, and social development.

The EIP is built around this scientific understanding. By providing services during this critical developmental window, the program aims to help children reach their full potential and reduce the impact of disabilities or delays.

Which Children Qualify for the New York Early Intervention Program

The program serves children from birth until their third birthday who fall into one of two categories:

Children with diagnosed disabilities automatically qualify. This includes conditions that are known to cause developmental delays, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or significant vision or hearing impairments.

Children with developmental delays also qualify if evaluations show they’re not meeting age-appropriate milestones. New York State has specific criteria for what constitutes a delay in five key areas:

• Physical development (including both gross motor skills like walking and fine motor skills like grasping objects)
• Cognitive development (how a child thinks, learns, and solves problems)
• Communication development (both understanding language and expressing themselves)
• Social-emotional development (how a child interacts with others and manages feelings)
• Adaptive development (practical skills like feeding, dressing, and responding to the environment)

A child only needs to show delay in one of these areas to potentially qualify. The program recognizes that development doesn’t happen uniformly and that children who struggle in one area often benefit from comprehensive support.

How to Get Your Child Evaluated for Early Intervention Services

The first step is making a referral. Parents can refer their own child if they have concerns about development. Healthcare providers, childcare workers, social workers, and certain other professionals can also make referrals when they notice potential delays.

Once a referral is made, New York State regulations require that a multidisciplinary evaluation (MDE) be completed ideally within 30 days. This evaluation involves professionals from different disciplines who assess your child’s development across all five areas mentioned above.

The evaluation happens at no cost to your family. Evaluators will observe your child, may conduct developmental testing, ask you questions about what your child can and cannot do, and gather information from anyone who regularly interacts with your child.

It’s important to be honest and thorough during this process. Some parents worry about “overreacting” or fear labeling their child, but remember that the goal is to identify whether your child would benefit from extra support. If delays exist, earlier identification means earlier help.

After the evaluation, you’ll receive a clear determination about whether your child qualifies for services and what specific areas of need were identified.

What Services Are Available Through New York’s Early Intervention Program

The range of services provided through the EIP is comprehensive and tailored to each child’s unique needs. Services include:

• Special instruction from developmental specialists who work on skills across multiple areas
• Speech-language therapy to address communication delays, including both speaking and understanding language
• Occupational therapy to help with fine motor skills, sensory processing, and daily living activities
• Physical therapy for children with gross motor delays or physical disabilities affecting movement
• Vision services for children with visual impairments or processing difficulties
• Hearing services including audiology assessments and support for hearing loss
• Medical and nutritional services when health or feeding issues affect development
• Assistive technology such as communication devices or adaptive equipment
• Family training and counseling to help families support their child’s development
• Service coordination to help navigate the system and ensure services work together effectively

All services are documented in an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This is a written plan created collaboratively with you, outlining your child’s current abilities, your family’s priorities, specific goals for your child’s development, and exactly what services will be provided, how often, and where.

The IFSP is reviewed every six months and updated at least annually, but changes can be made anytime your child’s needs change.

Where Early Intervention Services Are Provided

One of the most family-friendly aspects of New York’s EIP is that services are provided in “natural environments.” This means therapists and specialists come to places where your child naturally spends time rather than requiring you to travel to clinics or therapy centers.

For most families, this means services happen at home. Therapists work with your child in familiar surroundings where they’re most comfortable, and you can easily observe and participate in therapy sessions. This also makes it easier to incorporate therapeutic strategies into your daily routines.

Services can also be provided at childcare centers, with family members, or in other community settings where your child regularly spends time. The goal is to support development in the context of real life, not just in clinical settings.

This approach recognizes that young children learn best through play and daily activities, and that parents and caregivers are the most important people in a child’s life. When intervention happens in natural environments, families can more easily carry over therapeutic activities throughout the day.

Understanding the Cost of Early Intervention Services in New York

This is crucial information for families: Early Intervention services are provided at no direct cost to families, regardless of income.

The program is publicly funded and designed to ensure that all eligible children receive needed services. While the EIP will bill private insurance or Medicaid when available, families cannot be denied services due to inability to pay, lack of insurance, or insurance denial.

You won’t receive a bill for evaluations, IFSP meetings, or ongoing therapy services. There are no copays or deductibles required from families.

This funding structure exists specifically to remove financial barriers to early intervention. Lawmakers recognized that the cost of therapy services could prevent families from accessing help during this critical period, so the program was designed to eliminate that obstacle.

What Happens When Your Child Turns Three

The Early Intervention Program serves children only until their third birthday. At that point, children who still need services transition to preschool special education programs.

The transition process begins several months before a child turns three. Your service coordinator will work with you to determine whether ongoing services are needed and connect you with your local Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE).

The CPSE operates under the education system rather than the health system and provides services for children ages three to five. If your child continues to need support, services might be provided through a special education preschool program, an integrated preschool classroom, or through related services in a regular preschool setting.

Some children make enough progress through Early Intervention that they no longer need specialized services after age three. Others will continue to receive support through the school system, potentially through elementary school and beyond.

The transition can feel unsettling for families who have developed relationships with EIP providers, but the law requires this process to ensure children receive age-appropriate services in the right setting.

How Many Children Does New York’s Early Intervention Program Serve

New York operates one of the largest early intervention programs in the United States. The system typically serves approximately 70,000 children annually statewide.

To put this in perspective, data from 2024 shows that New York City alone enrolled 31,858 children in the EIP. The program’s size reflects both New York’s large population and the state’s relatively inclusive eligibility criteria.

This large-scale operation requires an extensive network of evaluators, therapists, service coordinators, and administrative staff across the state. The program operates through regional Early Intervention Official Designees who administer services at the county or municipal level.

Current Challenges Facing New York’s Early Intervention Program

While the EIP provides essential services, families should be aware of significant challenges currently affecting the program. Understanding these issues can help you advocate more effectively for your child and set realistic expectations.

Delays in receiving services represent the most pressing problem. According to federal data from fiscal year 2023, only 69% of eligible children received services within 30 days of their IFSP being authorized. This represents a dramatic 30% decrease from the previous year. More than 21,000 children waited over a month for services to begin.

To be clear, this means that thousands of children who have been evaluated, found eligible, and assigned services are waiting weeks or months before therapists actually start working with them. For infants and toddlers, these delays occur during irreplaceable developmental windows.

As of 2025, New York ranks last among all U.S. states for timely access to Early Intervention services. This is not a reflection of the program’s design or the dedication of individual providers, but rather a systemic crisis in capacity.

Provider shortages are driving these delays. The EIP has experienced significant attrition among therapists and specialists. Many providers have left the system due to declining reimbursement rates that haven’t kept pace with the cost of providing services.

When fewer therapists are available to serve the same number of children, wait times grow longer and caseloads become unmanageable for remaining providers. Some regions of the state face more severe shortages than others, creating geographic disparities in access.

Disparities in service access compound these challenges. Data from 2024 shows that service receipt and outcomes vary significantly by race, ethnicity, and geography. Children of color are less likely to receive timely intervention compared to white children, and families in certain neighborhoods face longer waits than others.

These disparities mean that the children who often face the greatest developmental risks due to factors like poverty, inadequate prenatal care, or birth complications are the same children experiencing the longest delays in receiving help.

State and federal agencies are continuously monitoring these issues and attempting reforms, but meaningful improvement requires increased funding, higher reimbursement rates for providers, and systemic changes to recruitment and retention.

Steps You Can Take If Your Child Needs Early Intervention Services

If you suspect your child has developmental delays or if your child has been diagnosed with a condition that affects development, take action promptly.

Contact your local Early Intervention Program immediately. Don’t wait to see if your child “catches up” on their own. You can find contact information for your county’s EIP through the New York State Department of Health website or by calling 311 in New York City.

Document your referral date. Keep records of when you made the referral and any communications with the program. Given current challenges with delays, documentation helps you track timelines and advocate if services are delayed beyond acceptable timeframes.

Prepare for the evaluation. Think about specific concerns you have about your child’s development. Note what your child can and cannot do compared to age expectations. Write down questions you want to ask evaluators.

Bring relevant medical records if your child has a diagnosed condition, was born prematurely, or experienced birth complications. Medical history helps evaluators understand the full picture.

Advocate firmly but constructively. If you encounter long delays or difficulty accessing services, remember that individual caseworkers and providers are typically not responsible for systemic problems. Ask specific questions about timelines, express concerns clearly, and request to speak with supervisors if needed. You can also contact your state representatives about program funding and capacity issues.

Connect with other families. Parent support groups and advocacy organizations can provide practical guidance for navigating the system and collective advocacy for program improvements.

The Early Intervention Program, despite its current challenges, remains a valuable resource that has helped countless children achieve better developmental outcomes. Understanding how the program works and what to expect empowers you to access services more effectively and advocate for your child’s needs during this critical period of growth.