Eligibility Requirements
Key Eligibility Criteria
- Age: Children must be under 3 years old.
- Residence: Must live in New York State.
- Condition: Have a confirmed disability or an established developmental delay of 12 months or more in one functional area, or a 33% delay in one area (or 25% in two or more areas).
- Who Determines Eligibility: Eligibility for the EIP can be determined only by State-approved evaluators under contract with the municipality.
Developmental Areas Assessed
- Physical: Vision, hearing, crawling, walking.
- Cognitive: Learning, problem-solving.
- Communication: Speaking, understanding language.
- Social-emotional: Playing with others, interacting.
- Adaptive: Self-help skills, feeding, dressing.
Costs
- The EIP is a public program funded by New York State and county governments.
- A child cannot be denied early intervention based on ability to pay.
- All services provided under the EIP are provided at no out-of-pocket cost to parents.
- Health insurance may be accessed for reimbursement for early intervention services provided to eligible children and their families.
- When early intervention services are delivered in childcare settings or community locations that require a fee, the parent is responsible for paying any associated costs with such access to childcare or community locations.
How to Access Services
- Referral: All children must be referred to the municipality to access EIP services. Parents, doctors, or community members can refer a child.
- Evaluation: A state-approved evaluator will determine eligibility
- Authorization: If a child is found eligible for the EIP, all needed early intervention services are identified in collaboration with the parent and must be authorized by the municipality.
- Service Providers: The municipality will arrange for service providers, considering the individual needs of the child and family, to deliver services authorized by the municipality.
Municipal Agencies
Nassau County Health Department
60 Charles Lindberg Blvd., Suite 100
Uniondale, New York 11553-3683
Phone: 516-227-8661
Fax: 516-227-8662
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygience
All referrals for children living in the five boroughs of New York City should be made:
- Online using the NYC Early Intervention Referral Portal at: nyc.gov/health/ei-referral,
- or By calling 311 and asking for “Early Intervention”
Gotham Center, CN # 12
42-09 28th Street, 9th Floor
Long Island City, NY 11101-4132
Phone Number in NYC Dial 311
If outside NYC: 212-639-9675
Bronx (Bronx County)
1309 Fulton Avenue, 5th Floor
Bronx, NY 10456
Phone: 718-838-6887
Brooklyn (Kings County)
16 Court Street, 2nd & 6th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11241
Phone: 718-694-6000
Manhattan (New York County)
42 Broadway, Suite 1611
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212-436-0900
Queens (Queens County)
90-27 Parson Blvd
Jamaica, New York 11432
Phone: 718-553-3954
Staten Island (Richmond County)
135 Canal Street, 2nd Floor
Staten Island, NY 10304
Phone: 718-568-2300
Suffolk County Department of Health
3500 Sunrise Highway, PO Box 9006
Great River, New York 11739
Phone: 631-853-3100
Fax: 631-853-2310
Westchester County Health Department
11 Martine Avenue, 14th Floor
White Plains, New York 10606
Phone: 914-813-5094
Fax: 914-813-5093
