Make a Referral
Anyone can refer a child to early intervention—parents, physicians, other health care providers, child care providers, social service agencies, early learning programs, etc. Once a referral is made, it is up to the family to decide whether they want to participate.
Call your local Child and Family Connections (CFC) office to request a developmental evaluation. To find your local CFC office, call (800) 843-6154. Families should receive a call back within two business days.
Intake
You will meet with a service coordinator to talk about your concerns about your child. You will be asked to sign consent forms agreeing that the service coordinator may share information about your child with the team that will evaluate and assess your child and may help you plan for EI services.
Evaluation
Your knowledge makes you an important partner on your child’s team. The team will evaluate your child across five domains of development. After the evaluation is completed, you will be notified by the CFC whether your child is eligible.
Eligibility
Your infant or toddler (birth to 36 months) is eligible for services through the Illinois EI program if they
Helpful Early Intervention Resources
The Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse regularly creates tip sheets to help families and providers understand the EI process.
- EI basics tip sheets include information to help families navigate their EI experience from assessment to transition and everything in between.
- Everyday EI tip sheets provide fun and easy ideas to help families work on EI outcomes during everyday routines.
- Child development tip sheets provide information about the development of young children.
- Live Video Visit tip sheets describe live video visits and how families and providers can work together virtually.