As defined by New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH), the NYS Early Intervention Program (EIP) is part of the national Early Intervention Program for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their children.  First created by Congress in 1986 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the EIP is administered by the NYS DOH through the Bureau of Early Intervention.  In NYS, the EIP is established in Article 25 of the Public Health Law and has been in effect since July 1, 1993.

To be eligible for services, children must be under 3 years of age and have a confirmed disability or established developmental delay, as defined by the State, in one or more of the following areas of development: physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional, and/or adaptive.