Parent Contact update

January 2024

Families Making an Impact

The Massachusetts Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) advises and assists the Department of Public Health on matters relating to our early intervention system. ALL states are required by federal law to have an ICC.

Parents, providers, and other stakeholders are brought together through the ICC to improve services for Massachusetts infants and toddlers and their families. Families with experience receiving early intervention services work together on the ICC to support program planning and interagency coordination to ensure the early intervention system is effective for all eligible infants and toddlers.

Council meetings are free and open for anyone to join. There are many ways to get involved with the council, from attending a meeting as a guest to being an appointed member. If you are interested in learning more, please let us know!

Resources & Opportunities

Family Rights in EI Workshop

Families in early intervention (EI) have rights, and there are safeguards in place to protect them. Mary Dennehy-Colorusso, the Procedural Safeguards Coordinator at the Early Intervention Division at Department of Public Health, will help you better understand your rights as a family receiving EI services, and what to do if you have a concern or complaint. Advance registration is required. The next presentation will be on Friday, January 19, from 1 pm - 3 pm.

The Visions of Community Conference is Coming!

The Federation for Children with Special Needs Visions of Community conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 9, 2024. Each year, the EIPLP sponsors a limited number of Parent Contacts to attend this conference.

Workshops will cover lots of topics spanning EI aged to young adults and are available in multiple languages. This conference is a great way to connect with services, agencies, and other families AND learn LOTS. We will keep you posted with more details as we get them, so be sure to keep an eye out if you are interested in learning more!

Family TIES of Massachusetts

Family TIES of Massachusetts provides information and training for families of children and youth with special health needs or disability and their professional partners. They are a primary source for information about Early Intervention (EI) and maintain a complete listing of EI programs in MA. Driven and staffed by parents of children with special needs, they offer unique emotional and practical support to families with similar life experiences.