Last updated: November 2026
An early intervention service provider under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is an entity or individual that provides early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. This page is for owners and clinical directors of pediatric therapy and developmental groups that want to enroll with a state, or that are adding infants and toddlers to an existing practice. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) drafts the readiness documents and a mock review. Your leaders approve them and your organization enrolls.
What is early intervention provider readiness under Part C?
It is the preparation a provider does to meet the federal rules in 34 CFR Part 303 (current text read 2026-11-05) and the enrollment requirements of its state. Section 303.121 requires each state system to have a policy on contracting or making other arrangements with public or private providers, including the contents of the application and the conditions of the contract or other arrangements. In our reading, that leaves the enrollment path to the state.
What does Part 303 say an EIS provider is responsible for?
Under 34 CFR 303.12, an EIS provider is an entity (whether public, private, or nonprofit) or an individual that provides early intervention services under part C, whether or not it receives Federal funds under part C. Section 303.2(b)(1)(i) applies the part to any EIS provider that is part of the statewide system of early intervention, regardless of whether that provider receives part C funds. A provider has three responsibilities.
- Participating in the IFSP Team's ongoing assessment of the child and the family-directed assessment of the family's resources, priorities, and concerns.
- Providing early intervention services in accordance with the child's IFSP.
- Consulting with and training parents and others on the services described in the IFSP.
What makes a service an early intervention service?
Section 303.13(a) sets nine criteria. Among them: services are selected in collaboration with the parents; they are provided at no cost, except, subject to sections 303.520 and 303.521, where Federal or State law provides for a system of payments by families; they meet the standards of the State in which they are provided; they are provided by qualified personnel; and they are provided, to the maximum extent appropriate, in natural environments and in conformity with an IFSP.
What do the service coordination, staffing and timeline provisions say?
Several of these provisions bind the State system or lead agency, not a provider. In our reading, the state decides how to pass them on.
Service coordination
Section 303.34(a)(2) says each infant or toddler with a disability and the child's family must be provided with one service coordinator, who coordinates all services required under the part across agency lines and serves as the single point of contact for the service coordination activities in paragraphs (a)(3) and (b). The section does not say who employs the coordinator.
Personnel
Section 303.119(b) requires each state system to maintain qualification standards that are consistent with any State-approved or State-recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements that apply to the profession, discipline, or area in which personnel are providing early intervention services.
Timelines and settings
Section 303.310(a) requires any screening (if the State has adopted a policy to screen and the parent consents), the initial evaluation and initial assessments, and the initial IFSP meeting to be completed within 45 days from the date the lead agency or EIS provider receives the referral. The 45 days do not apply for any period when the child or parent is unavailable to complete those steps because of exceptional family circumstances documented in the child's early intervention records, or when the parent has not consented despite documented, repeated attempts by the lead agency or EIS provider to obtain consent. The steps must then be completed as soon as possible. Under 34 CFR 303.126, each state system must have policies so that services are provided, to the maximum extent appropriate, in natural environments, and in settings other than the natural environment that are most appropriate, as determined by the parent and the IFSP Team, only when they cannot be achieved satisfactorily in a natural environment.
Before a toddler turns three, section 303.209(d)(2) directs the State lead agency to ensure a transition plan in the IFSP not fewer than 90 days, and at the discretion of all parties not more than 9 months, before the toddler's third birthday.
What can families be charged?
Under section 303.521(b), no fees may be charged to parents for child find, evaluation and assessment, service coordination, or the administrative and coordinative activities for IFSPs and procedural safeguards. If a state elects to adopt a system of payments, its written policies must assure that a family that meets the state's definition of inability to pay is provided all part C services at no cost (section 303.521(a)(4)(ii)).
Section 303.520(b)(1)(i) says the State may not use a parent's private insurance to pay for part C services unless the parent gives consent or the State meets one of the exceptions in paragraph (b)(2). Consent must be obtained when the lead agency or EIS provider seeks to use the insurance to pay for the initial provision of a service in the IFSP, and each time consent for services is required because the frequency, length, duration, or intensity of services in the child's IFSP increases.
Who needs it and what triggers it
Two situations can trigger this work: a pediatric therapy or developmental group wants to enroll as a state early intervention provider, or a provider that serves older children adds infants and toddlers. In both cases the first step is the same: find out what your state lead agency requires, then compare your practice with it and with the federal baseline.
How IHS helps
IHS prepares the documents and the rehearsal, and your organization makes every decision and filing. We work as three practice lines: accreditation consulting, compliance services and program development. Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, founder of IHS and former URAC Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, leads the engagement personally.
What IHS drafts
- A readiness review against the federal provisions above and the state requirements you obtain.
- The enrollment packet and an evidence map that ties each requirement to a document in your files.
- The policy and procedure set, with clinical content drafted for your clinicians to review and approve.
- A mock review with a findings list and drafted corrections.
What you supply
You supply ownership and governing documents, the administrator and clinical lead, the service list, staffing and credentials, insurance and financial records, your premises, and clinical sign-off on every clinical policy. Your clinicians own clinical judgment.
The real limit
IHS does not decide whether a state will enroll you. IHS does not file your enrollment application, and IHS does not contact the state lead agency for you.
What to have ready
These items map to the provisions in 34 CFR Part 303.
- A statement of the early intervention services you will provide, matched to section 303.13(a).
- A role-by-role list of personnel with each person's state certification, license or registration (sections 303.31 and 303.119).
- A service coordination procedure written to match what your state lead agency tells you about who employs coordinators.
- A referral-to-IFSP workflow that tracks the 45-day clock and records exceptional family circumstances and repeated attempts to obtain consent.
- A family billing and consent procedure that reflects what your state allows under sections 303.520 and 303.521.
- Your state lead agency's current enrollment instructions, forms and provider agreement, which we have not reviewed and you should obtain directly.
If you want us to compare your documents with this list, schedule the free introductory call below.
How it compares
Your state lead agency's enrollment material is the source for forms and steps; Part 303 tells you what applies once you are in. You need both.
- Other accreditation or licensure. A pediatric therapy practice may hold other licenses or accreditations. Ask your state how they interact with enrollment. Our CARF early childhood development page covers the accreditation side.
We do not tell you which route fits your practice. Your state agency and counsel decide that.
What it costs
A start-up pays three kinds of cost: fees, consulting and staff time.
- The federal text we reviewed sets no fee for providers. We did not review state enrollment fees; ask your state lead agency.
- Consulting fees depend on scope. IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
- Your team's time is a cost whether or not you use a consultant.
What this is not
- It is not legal advice. IHS is a consulting firm, not a law firm. Questions about what the regulation requires of you go to your counsel.
- It is not a guarantee that a state will enroll your practice. The state lead agency decides.
- It is not filing or liaison work. IHS does not submit to the state and does not contact it for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is an early intervention service provider under Part C?
Section 303.12 defines an EIS provider as an entity (whether public, private, or nonprofit) or an individual that provides early intervention services under part C of the Act, whether or not it receives Federal funds under part C.
Does a provider need federal funds to be covered by Part 303?
No. Section 303.2(b)(1)(i) applies the part to the State lead agency and any EIS provider that is part of the statewide system of early intervention, regardless of whether that provider receives funds under part C.
How do I enroll as an early intervention provider in my state?
Section 303.121 requires each state system to have a policy on contracting or making other arrangements with public or private providers, including the contents of the application and the conditions of the contract or other arrangements. The federal text does not list them, and we did not open any state's rules. Ask your state lead agency for its current instructions, and have counsel read any agreement before you sign.
What qualifications must early intervention personnel meet?
Section 303.31 defines qualified personnel as people who have met State approved or recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements that apply to the areas in which they conduct evaluations or assessments or provide early intervention services. Map each role to its state requirement.
What is a service coordinator and who provides one?
Section 303.34(a)(2) says each infant or toddler with a disability and the child's family must be provided with one service coordinator, who coordinates all services required under the part across agency lines and serves as the single point of contact for the service coordination activities in paragraphs (a)(3) and (b). The section does not say who employs the coordinator.
Are early intervention services free to families?
Services are provided at no cost, except, subject to sections 303.520 and 303.521, where Federal or State law provides for a system of payments by families. Under section 303.521(b), no fees may be charged to parents for evaluation and assessment or service coordination.
How long does a provider have after a referral?
Section 303.310(a) requires any screening (if the State has adopted a policy to screen and the parent consents), the initial evaluation and assessments, and the initial IFSP meeting to be completed within 45 days from the date the lead agency or EIS provider receives the referral. The 45 days do not apply for any period when documented exceptional family circumstances make the child or parent unavailable, or while the parent has not consented despite documented, repeated attempts by the lead agency or EIS provider to obtain consent. The steps must then be completed as soon as possible.
What does a readiness review cover?
We compare your practice to the Part 303 provisions on this page, map each to a document or record you hold, and list gaps. You obtain the state enrollment requirements from the lead agency, and we add them to the evidence map.