Child development

How Early Intervention Works in California

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Early Start is California's version of the federal Part C mandate, delivered locally through the state's network of regional centers rather than a single agency. This guide explains how to contact the right regional center, California's two-track eligibility standard, what the state does and doesn't charge families for, what an IFSP can include, and how the transition to Part B preschool special education works at age three.

Last updated: July 2026

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California Runs Early Intervention Through Regional Centers, Not One State Office

California delivers Part C early intervention through a network of 21 regional centers rather than a single state early-intervention office. The Department of Developmental Services holds statewide responsibility for the system, working with the California Department of Education, but a family's actual point of contact is whichever regional center serves the county where the child lives 1.

That structure means the first step is finding the right regional center rather than calling a single statewide hotline. A parent, relative, child-care provider, or doctor can contact the local regional center directly to request an evaluation, and no pediatrician's referral or completed diagnosis is required to start the process 2. Once a regional center opens a case, it assigns a service coordinator who stays with the family through evaluation, eligibility, the IFSP meeting, and any changes in services afterward.

Two Paths to Eligibility: A 25 Percent Delay or an Established Risk Condition

California law gives a child two distinct ways to qualify for Early Start. The first is a developmental delay of at least 25 percent in one or more areas: cognitive development, receptive or expressive communication, social or emotional development, or physical and motor development, including vision and hearing. The second is an established risk condition of known cause with a high probability of resulting in delayed development, such as a diagnosed genetic or neurological condition, which can qualify a child even before any delay shows up on testing.

That second path is broader than what many states offer, since it lets a family enroll a child proactively after a diagnosis rather than waiting for a delay to become measurable. The evaluation that measures the 25 percent threshold typically draws on more than one standardized tool and more than one discipline, so a child's file often includes input from a psychologist, a speech-language pathologist, and an occupational or physical therapist rather than a single assessment.

What a Referral and Evaluation Look Like

After a regional center receives a referral, California's Early Start system follows the same federal timeline every Part C program uses: the regional center has 45 days to complete an evaluation and, for an eligible child, convene a meeting to write the Individualized Family Service Plan 3. The IFSP names the family's priorities, the services intended to support them, and how often each service will happen.

A family that disagrees with an eligibility finding can request an independent evaluation or pursue mediation and due process rights under Part C, protections that apply the same way in California as anywhere else in the country. Once services start, the IFSP is reviewed at least every six months, and a family can request a review sooner if a child's needs change or a new concern comes up.

What California Charges Families For, and What It Doesn't

Evaluation, assessment, and service coordination under Early Start cost a family nothing, no matter its income. Fees can apply to a narrower set of services, mainly respite care, daycare, and camping programs, through the state's Family Cost Participation Program. That program only reaches families whose gross annual income is at least four times the federal poverty level, and even then the family's share is set on a sliding scale, generally between 5 and 80 percent of the cost. A child enrolled in Medi-Cal is exempt from any family cost share entirely.

The services that make up the core of most IFSPs — therapy, service coordination, and evaluation — sit outside that fee structure altogether. A family that is unsure whether a specific service falls inside or outside the Family Cost Participation Program can ask its regional center service coordinator to walk through the fee schedule before agreeing to a plan, rather than finding out after a bill arrives. That fee schedule is also reviewed periodically, so a family's share can shift if income or household size changes, which is worth flagging to the regional center rather than assuming last year's figure still applies.

The IFSP Team and the Services It Can Authorize

An IFSP can authorize physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, developmental services, service coordination, vision and hearing services, and family training, matched to the goals a family sets with the evaluation team 3. Speech-language pathologists frequently play a lead role when a family's central concern is communication, since they are trained to screen for and treat the social-communication delays that often overlap with autism 4.

In keeping with the federal preference for natural environments, most Early Start services happen at home or in the child-care setting a family already uses 5. Many regional center providers coach a parent or caregiver directly, showing how to work a specific goal into everyday moments like mealtime or playtime, rather than treating therapy as something that only happens during a scheduled visit.

Turning Three in California: The Handoff to Part B

Early Start eligibility ends at a child's third birthday. Before that date, the IFSP team holds a transition conference to plan the move to Part B preschool special education, which is delivered through local school districts and requires its own eligibility determination rather than an automatic continuation of Early Start services 6. Learning how an IFSP becomes an IEP ahead of that meeting helps a family walk in prepared, and bringing the current IFSP and recent evaluation reports to the conference generally speeds up the school district's own eligibility process.

A family relocating adds a wrinkle, since Part C eligibility doesn't travel automatically between states. A family that used early intervention in Nebraska, early intervention in Nevada, early intervention in Ohio, early intervention in Oklahoma, or early intervention in Oregon and then moves to California will need a new referral to its local regional center, because each state runs IDEA Part C through its own lead agency, eligibility rule, and cost structure 1.

Common questions

No. Early Start eligibility is based on a developmental delay or an established risk condition, not a specific diagnosis. A toddler with emerging social or communication delays can be referred to the local regional center and evaluated for Early Start well before, or separately from, any autism evaluation.

Evaluation, assessment, and service coordination are free for every family. Fees only apply to a narrow set of services like respite care, daycare, and camping, through a sliding-scale program that reaches families with income at or above four times the federal poverty level. A child on Medi-Cal pays nothing under that program either.

Regional centers serve specific counties, so the one to contact depends on where the family lives. The Department of Developmental Services maintains a statewide directory, and any regional center can redirect a family to the correct one if they call the wrong office first.

Yes. A parent can contact the regional center directly and request an Early Start evaluation without a pediatrician's note or a completed diagnosis. Relatives, child-care providers, and physicians can also initiate a referral with the family's knowledge, but none of them is required for a parent to start the process.

Early Start ends at the third birthday. The IFSP team holds a transition conference beforehand to plan the move to Part B preschool special education through the local school district, where eligibility is evaluated again under separate criteria than Early Start used.

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When a developmental concern shouldn't wait on a regional center's schedule

  • —Loss of previously gained words, gestures, or social responses at any age
  • —No evaluation scheduled well beyond the 45-day window after a regional center logs the referral
  • —A child not yet referred by around 30 months, since arranging the move to Part B preschool takes additional lead time

This article explains how California's public early intervention system works. It is general education, not medical or legal advice, and cannot determine whether a specific child is eligible.

References

  1. 1.Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (federally funded) (2024). Part C of IDEA. ECTA Center. link ✓That each state designates its own Part C lead agency responsible for the statewide early-intervention system, applied to California's Department of Developmental Services and regional-center delivery model.
  2. 2.Center for Parent Information and Resources (OSEP-funded) (2023). Part C of IDEA: Early Intervention for Babies and Toddlers. Center for Parent Information and Resources. link ✓That a family can refer its own child for a Part C evaluation directly, without a professional initiating the referral.
  3. 3.U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (2024). Part 303 (Part C) — Early Intervention Program For Infants And Toddlers With Disabilities. IDEA — sites.ed.gov/idea. link ✓The federal regulatory requirement of a timely evaluation and IFSP after referral, and what early intervention services under an IFSP can include.
  4. 4.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2024). Autism (Practice Portal). ASHA Practice Portal — Clinical Topics. link ✓The role of speech-language pathologists in screening, assessing, and treating social communication and language delays in young children.
  5. 5.U.S. Department of Education (2024). IDEA Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C). U.S. Department of Education. link ✓That IDEA Part C provides early intervention services to children birth through age 2 with disabilities or developmental delay and their families, delivered in natural environments.
  6. 6.U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (2024). IDEA Part C: Early Learning and Early Childhood. IDEA — sites.ed.gov/idea. link ✓The transition from Part C (birth-3) services toward Part B preschool special education at age 3.

6 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — every citation independently verified. Editorial policy

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