Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities who may have missed months of crucial services to help them reach developmental milestones. A recent report by Advocates for Children found an 82% decline in the average number of Early Intervention referrals per week in NYC during the pandemic, relative to the beginning of the year, and a 67% decline in the average number of EI evaluations completed each week. New York must reverse these trends to help children with developmental delays and disabilities receive the services they need to thrive, and to help our kids and families recover.

We need your help to urge elected leaders to support key legislative and budget priorities that will help ensure all children and families can access the Early Intervention services they need.

We ask you to take the following action:

• Contact your elected officials through our Take Action page (https://thechildrensagenda.org/send-a-message-kids-cant-wait/). Don’t hesitate to include personal stories of why EI is so important to you.

Resources:

• Take Action Page
• Kids Can’t Wait Campaign
• Report: Delayed Interventions: Early Indicators of the Pandemic’s Impact on Infants and Toddlers
• Report: Early Inequities: How Underfunding Early Intervention Leaves Low-Income Children of Color Behind
• Early Intervention Infographics