How to Become an Early Intervention Provider

Find information about enrollment opportunities for provider agencies, compliance with IDEA Part C and state standards, and personnel requirements for delivering EI services in Massachusetts.

What is Early Intervention (EI)?

Massachusetts Early Intervention (EI) is a program for children from birth to three who have an established condition, developmental delays, or are at risk of developmental delays.

EI services aim to support families and caregivers and enhance the development and learning of infants and toddlers through individualized, developmentally-appropriate activities in the child’s and family’s everyday lives.

How to become a provider agency

Enrollment Opportunities

The Early Intervention System is currently not enrolling new providers.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health opens enrollment opportunities based on data analysis identifying the need for additional providers to meet the needs of enrolled children and families. These enrollment opportunities are offered every ten years as part of DPH’s procurement process. As of October 2024, the Department has 63 active provider agencies statewide.

Compliance & Personnel Standards

All contracted provider agencies must deliver services in accordance with Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (34 CFR 303) and Massachusetts Early Intervention Operational Standards. Early intervention services are provided in natural environments and designed to improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families.

As the lead agency for the Massachusetts Part C System, DPH’s Early Intervention Division has established personnel standards in accordance with Part C of IDEA and the Early Intervention Operational Standards. Individuals seeking to provide services to eligible children and their families in the early intervention system must meet the appropriate professional and paraprofessional requirements.

Provider Agency Responsibilities & Professional Conduct

Each provider agency is responsible for ensuring that every staff member employed by or contracted with the agency to provide early intervention services meets the appropriate personnel standards both prior to and throughout their tenure with the agency.

All Massachusetts personnel are expected to fulfill their job-related responsibilities in a manner that reflects the professional and ethical standards of conduct that apply to their specific profession or discipline.

Staff Recruitment

In accordance with IDEA Part C requirements (§ 303.119 Personnel Standards), Massachusetts makes ongoing good-faith efforts to recruit and hire appropriately and adequately trained personnel to provide early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities. This includes recruiting the most qualified individuals available who are making satisfactory progress toward completing applicable course work necessary to meet state personnel standards, including in particular geographic areas where there is a shortage of such personnel.

Definitions for Early Intervention Services: Profession or discipline: A specific occupational category that:

1. Provides early intervention services to eligible children and their families;
2. Has been established or designated by the state; and
3. Has a required scope of responsibility and degree of supervision.

Qualified Personnel: Personnel who have met state approved or recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements that apply to the areas in which they are conducting evaluations or assessments or providing early intervention services.

State approved or recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements: The requirements that a state legislature either has enacted or has authorized a state agency to promulgate through rules to establish the entry-level standards for employment in a specific profession or discipline in the state.

Personnel standards for Early Intervention providers in Massachusetts

DPH-contracted Early Intervention programs must demonstrate a commitment to respond to the diverse needs of families in their communities. The following are the minimum credentials for entry-level provisional certification:

1. Developmental Specialist:
2. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a major or concentration in infants and toddlers (includes early intervention and early childhood education)
3. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a major or concentration in child development or child studies
4. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a major or concentration in education or special education
5. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution

For all categories of Developmental Specialist, transcripts of degree work or subsequent transcripts must reflect successful completion of at least four approved 3-credit courses focused on infants, toddlers, and/or families. Additionally, individuals are required to complete and document at least 300 hours of practicum or work experience with young children (under age five) on their résumé. Additional experience with infants, toddlers, and/or families is preferred.

Personnel Standards for Allied Health Providers

Allied Health Provider	Personnel Standards
Nursing	Current licensure as a Registered Nurse by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing
Occupational Therapy	Current licensure as an Occupational Therapist by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Health Professions
Physical Therapy	Current licensure as an Occupational Therapist by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Health Professions
Social Work	Current licensure as a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) or a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers
Mental Health	A minimum of a master’s degree from an accredited recognized educational institution in counseling psychology, clinical psychology, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, developmental psychology, or educational psychology; or Current licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) or as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) by the Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals
Speech and Language Pathology	Current licensure by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) granted by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association; or Currently in clinical fellowship prior to being granted a CCC
Specialty Provider	Early Intervention services may also be provided by qualified personnel who bring specific expertise necessary for working with populations including, but not limited to, children with low-incidence conditions and their families. A specialty provider may be granted limited provisional certification as an early intervention specialist, which does not include the capacity to function as a service coordinator. Qualification is based on applicable state requirements for the profession or discipline in which the person is providing Early Intervention services.
Therapy Assistant	Current license from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Allied Health Professions as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) or Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) or from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)
Music Therapist	Current Certificate from the Certification Board for Music Therapists

The above disciplines may not be an inclusive list of personnel with specific expertise to meet the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers. However, any staff considered for employment in a professional capacity to provide Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) services must meet the minimum credentials for entry-level provisional certification as an Early Intervention Specialist, as listed above.

Use the Searchable Directory for IHE to find Institutes of Higher Education with Early Intervention concentrations or certificates approved by the Department of Public Health.

List of Early Intervention Service Programs

Early Intervention Service Programs