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What Is An Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)?

The IFSP is a written plan which is the framework for meeting the unique needs of your child and family. It is based on your child’s strengths and your family’s concerns and priorities.

The IFSP is not a final document - your family’s IFSP should be reviewed frequently, at least every six months, and changed as necessary.

The first IFSP meeting should be held after all of the necessary assessment information has been gathered and you have had the opportunity to share your family’s concerns, priorities, and resources with all involved people.

Who attends the IFSP meeting?

You may invite anyone you want to the meeting(s) to develop or update your child's IFSP. The people who assessed your child should attend, but you may also include any other person you would like to assist you in developing your child’s plan including other family members or friends. If you would like to include people who are unable to attend, they may send written information to be included in the discussion.

Who is the service coordinator?

The service coordinator is the person who is responsible for coordinating all early intervention services and helping parents to identify and obtain the services and assistance they need to help their child’s development. The service coordinator will typically be either from Alta California Regional Center (ACRC), a Local Education Agency (LEA), or a local Infant Development Program (IDP).

How can I prepare for the meeting?

You know your child best! Think about the services and supports that your child and family will need, goals and desired outcomes. Write down and share your thoughts with the IFSP team.

What will my role be? What will I be expected to do?

Other members of the team would like to hear from you about your child and family. You make the decisions, with the help and support of the team, about the outcomes, activities, and services you would like included in the IFSP.

What will be discussed at the IFSP meeting?

The IFSP Planning Meeting discussion will include:

  • Your child’s present level of development,
  • Your concerns and priorities about your child’s development and your family’s strengths and resources,
  • Major goals/outcomes for your child for the next 6-12 months,
  • Specific services your child will require,
  • Any other services/resources needed by your child or family.

What will happen after the IFSP meeting?

Services will not begin until the IFSP is signed. If you need to take extra time to review the IFSP with your family, you may do so. You do not have to sign the document right away. At the end of the meeting, you will receive a copy of the IFSP that was developed at the meeting. If photo copying equipment is not available at the meeting, a copy will be mailed to you as soon as possible.

Before the meeting is over, be sure you are clear about what the next step will be, as well as what anyone else will be doing and when. If you have any questions after the meeting, contact your service coordinator. Services should start as soon as possible after the IFSP meeting.

The IFSP can be changed and updated as your child’s needs change. If you feel you need to make changes to the IFSP before it is due to be reviewed, let your service coordinator know.

What the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) Contains
The IFSP explains:

Your child’s present levels of physical development (including vision, hearing, and health), cognitive (thinking) development, communication development, social or emotional development, and adaptive development,

  • What is important to you about your child’s development, your family’s resources, priorities, and concerns,
  • The goals that you and the team have agreed on, how and when they will be measured,
  • The specific early intervention services necessary to meet the unique needs of your child and family to achieve the goals. This will include how often , where and how the services will be delivered, the natural environments in which the services will be provided, and the payment arrangements, if any. (The natural environment means settings that are “natural” or “typical” for the child’s age peers who have no disability. It includes the home and community settings in which children without delays or disabilities participate. The decision as to whether a location is a natural environment must be made taking into account the particular services for the individual child and is a team decision made by all IFSP team members.),
  • Other early intervention services that your child needs and the funding sources to be used in paying for those services,
  • The dates for the start of the services as soon as possible after the IFSP meeting and the anticipated duration of services,
  • The name of the service coordinator who will be responsible for making sure the IFSP is followed and coordination with other agencies and persons,
  • The steps to be taken to support your child’s transition to preschool at age 36 months and the transition process.

An IFSP Goal Setting Guide for Parents

One of the most important thing that you, as a parent, can do is to participate in the setting of goals for your child. When professionals have some idea of what you would like to see happen for your child, they will be better able to provide services and programs that help meet your expectations. You know your child better than anyone else - it is reasonable that you suggest goals for your child.

Goals – what are they?

Goals are statements about things we want for ourselves, our children and our families. Setting goals for ourselves, and working toward them is a way of turning an ambition or desire into reality. If you know what you want, you are more likely to achieve it.

Setting IFSP goals for your child is an important part of planning an early intervention program. IFSP goals are statements that tell what skills or behaviors you would like your child and family to achieve.

Setting goals...

Parents can help to design their child’s early intervention program by thinking about goals that they would like to see their child reach. These goals can then be discussed at the IFSP Planning Meeting.

The following exercise is designed to give you practice in identifying important, realistic, and reachable goals for your child.

Remember: A goal describes a skill or behavior you would like to see your child learn or improve or so mething your family can achieve together.

IFSP Preparation Guide

Each family receiving early intervention services has their own priorities, concerns, and resources. Please use the questions below to help you focus on what services might be most useful to your family. Your concerns will probably change from time to time, and this is just the beginning in the planning process that the IFSP team will use. Answer those questions that you think will help the team know how to be most helpful to you and your family.

  • What pleases you most about your child's development?
  • What concerns you most about your child's development?
  • What kind of help or information about your child's development or health care do you need?
  • In addition to my family, other people I would like to include in the assessment(s) & IFSP meeting:
  • In the next several months, I'd like to see my child be able to:
  • In the next several months, I'd like my family to:

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While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness, please call WarmLine Family Resource Center (WLFRC) at 916-922-9276 or 800-660-7995 with any information that will help make the next edition of this directory even better. Also, please note that numbers are listed under the county name; there is an additional listing for regional numbers whenever possible. 

Inclusion of a program or resource does not imply endorsement or recommendation by WarmLine.
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