Eligibility

To be eligible for the Early Intervention program, children must:

• Be younger than 3 years old
• Live in one of the five boroughs
• Have a disability or developmental delay

All children referred to the Early Intervention program may receive a free, voluntary multi-disciplinary evaluation to determine if they are eligible for services.

Children who are not eligible for this program can receive developmental monitoring, with caregivers keeping track of the child's development up to their third birthday.

Confidentiality

All services and evaluations are confidential. They will not be shared with any other City Agency or system, such as the Department of Education, without the parent’s written permission. 

If a child qualifies, the program will work with the parent to design a special plan to help the child and family. This plan is called an IFSP.

Insurance Coverage

A family does not need to have insurance to be eligible for Early Intervention. If the family has health insurance, it will be used to pay for Early Intervention services at no direct cost to the family.

If your child is already enrolled in the Early Intervention program and you need assistance with paying medical bills, a Child Benefit Advisor can help you.

For more information and to contact a Child Benefit Advisor, go to the Health Insurance for Children page.

Developmental Monitoring is a program of Early Intervention that helps track a infant's or toddler's development up to their third birthday.

The program is intended for children who are developing differently than their peers and may benefit from having their progress tracked.

Children younger than 3 years old might benefit from Developmental Monitoring if they:

• Were born at less than 33 weeks
• Spent more than 10 days in neonatal intensive care
• Weighed less than 4 pounds at birth
• Had lead test results that were too high
• Missed or failed a newborn hearing screening
• Were affected by homelessness or domestic violence
• Have a teenager mother
• Have a mother who did not receive prenatal care

Embedded Coaching is an approach to services where the family is involved in each stage of a child’s early intervention plan. 

Families can learn how to use daily routines as learning opportunities for their children between visits.

The Early Childhood Mental Health Network provides mental health support for young children and their families, helping to address challenges early. Mental health professionals consult with early childhood programs partnered with the Department of Education (DOE) to address program, classroom, and child-level challenges in order to strengthen the capacity of teachers and caregivers to support children.

Seven early childhood therapeutic centers, open to all New York residents, located throughout the City offer specialized mental health treatment for children from birth to age five and their families, as well as access to family peer advocates and connection to ongoing support.

Additionally, mental health professionals are able to receive specialized training in evidence-based practices and early childhood development through the Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center in order to increase the capacity and competencies of professionals working to identify and address the mental health needs of young children.

Services Provided

Individual and family counseling that utilizes evidence-based approaches for clients with trauma, including:

• Play therapy and Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
• Parent groups
• Assessments and screenings
• Staff and teacher training 

You can contact a clinic in your borough:

Bronx North

The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services 
(844) 663-2255

Bronx South

Association to Benefit Children
(929) 288-4320

Manhattan

Northside Center for Child Development
(212) 426-3400

Queens

The Child Center of New York
(718) 530-6892

Brooklyn Central and South

OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services
(800) 603-6435

Brooklyn North and East

The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services 
(844) 663-2255

Staten Island

Staten Island Mental Health Society
(718) 448-9775 ext. 551