Families as Partners

Because families are the constant in a child’s life, Early Intervention (EI) services are family-centered. Family-Centered Services means families and EI practitioners are working together as partners, with the opinions of each considered to equal.

Values:

• Parents are equal and valuable members of the team.
• Parental participation is vital to the team.
• Parents provide valuable information about their child’s development, likes and dislikes that no one else knows.

Family-centered services and supports are:

• Designed to share information that parents need in their role as the child’s primary caregiver and decision maker.
• Designed with the recognition that the family is the primary influence on the child and has the greatest impact on his/her learning and development.
• Designed to support each family’s confidence in enhancing the child’s learning and development.
• Delivered in a manner that matches the family’s life-style, priorities and concerns.
• Developed in a collaborative manner that involves family members, EI staff and other agencies or people important in a child’s life.
• Provided in a manner that promotes effective communication and problem solving as a team.

Adapted from: Division of Early Childhood (DEC): Recommended Practices in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education.

All of us are better than one of us…

• When working with infants, toddlers and their families, no single individual, professional or agency can meet the needs of each child.
• As a team that includes you, your family, your EI provider, Family Resource Coordinator and other community agencies, we can work together to meet your child’s needs and support your child’s development.