If you are worried that your baby is not rolling, babbling, reaching or responding the way you expected, you do not need to wait for a pediatrician to agree. Every state and territory runs an early intervention system for infants and toddlers from birth to age 3, and a parent can ask it for an evaluation directly. This guide walks through what happens after that phone call.

What Part C is

Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law behind early intervention. Congress funds it through annual appropriations, which the Congressional Research Service put at about $540 million in fiscal 2025, and each state’s share is based on its number of children under 3. States run their own programs, so the agency name, the criteria and the paperwork differ from place to place. The ECTA Center, the federally funded technical assistance center for early childhood programs, maintains the national picture.

The CDC’s early intervention page says the programs are publicly funded and that “a doctor’s referral is not necessary.” You can look up your state’s contact through CDC’s FindEI page.

Step 1: The referral

Anyone can refer a child: a parent, a pediatrician, a hospital, a child care provider. You can also contact the program yourself. When you call, say that you are concerned about your child’s development and want to request an evaluation under Part C. Putting the request in writing, even by email, creates a date for the clock that follows.

A doctor who spots a possible delay is expected to refer the child as soon as possible, and in no case more than seven days after identifying it, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s summary of the federal rules.

Step 2: The 45-day clock

Under federal regulation 34 CFR 303.310, the system has 45 days from the date it receives a referral to complete any screening, the evaluation, the assessments of the child and family, and the first Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting. The clock can pause only in limited circumstances, such as when a parent does not give consent despite documented, repeated attempts to obtain it.

Expect the program to ask for your written consent before it evaluates your child. Nothing in the process happens without it.

Step 3: The evaluation

The Center for Parent Information and Resources describes a team evaluation across five areas of development:

  • Cognitive (thinking and learning)
  • Physical, including vision and hearing
  • Communication
  • Social and emotional
  • Adaptive (self-help skills such as feeding)

The evaluation usually happens at home or in a familiar setting. Evaluators watch your baby play, try activities and ask you what you see day to day. You know your child best; your observations count. Some children with a diagnosed condition that is likely to cause delay may qualify without a full evaluation of delay.

How eligibility is decided

Federal rules require every state to serve two groups: children with a developmental delay and children with a diagnosed condition that has a high probability of causing delay. How much delay is required differs by state. ECTA notes that a 25 percent delay in one area qualifies a child in some states but not in others, and a small number of states also serve children considered at risk. Check your state’s definition on ECTA’s summary page if you want to see the threshold in advance.

If your child is found not eligible, ask for the reasons in writing and about parents’ rights to disagree. Ask also whether the program can suggest other community resources or a re-evaluation later. Development changes quickly in the first years, so a “not now” is not a permanent “no.”

Step 4: The IFSP

If your child is eligible, a team that includes you writes the IFSP, a plan that lists the outcomes your family wants, the services your child will get, how often and where. Parents give written consent for each service. Services must begin within 30 days of the plan being agreed, and the plan is reviewed at least every six months and rewritten at least once a year.

Services are meant to take place in your child’s natural environment, usually your home or child care. If the team proposes a different setting, the IFSP has to explain why. Common services include speech-language therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and family training.

What it costs

Under Part C, Child Find, evaluations and assessments, development of the IFSP and service coordination are provided at no cost to families. Other services may carry a sliding-scale fee in some states, and public or private insurance may be billed with your written consent. Refusing consent for insurance billing cannot be used to deny services, and services cannot be refused because a family cannot pay.

At age 3

Part C ends at the third birthday. The IFSP must include a transition plan, and for children who still need support, the next step is usually the school district’s preschool special education program under a different part of IDEA. Ask about that process well before the birthday, not in the last month.

The practical takeaway

If a concern keeps coming back, call your state program and ask for an evaluation, then follow up with your pediatrician so the two teams are working together. Write down dates, names and what you were told, because the 45-day timeline is easiest to hold when you can point to the date you asked.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether your child has a delay. Talk with your child’s pediatrician and your state early intervention program about your specific concerns.