Le Bonheur Early Intervention and Development

Le Bonheur Developmental Services provides support to families, child care centers, and partner agencies who have young children with developmental, health, medical, or behavioral needs. Staff includes developmental, behavioral, occupational, physical, and speech therapists; nurses; support facilitators; and coordinators.

To build coordinated & integrated community practice that provides equal access to highest quality care, education, prevention & intervention to improve health & well-being of all children & families. Inclusion Support (IS) provides assistance and training to parents and licensed child care centers, family day homes, and Early Head Start centers, to provide daily care for children with chronic and complex medical/developmental needs, so they can be fully integrated into typical child care settings. In addition, Inclusion Facilitators and nurses provide ongoing training for center health & safety policies and developmentally appropriate practices, to ensure all children are safe and appropriately cared for. Inclusion Support services ideally begin as soon as a chronic/complex medical need or developmental disability is identified, even as early as prenatally. Referrals come from the medical community (Le Bonheur's Fetal Center, NICU, Infant Care Unit, Specialty clinics, Pediatricians, Rehab Centers), early childhood community (Tennessee Early Intervention System, Porter Leath, Child Care centers), and directly from parents in search of help. When a referral is received, Inclusion Facilitators explain all of the options for early childhood care (Early Head Start, Child Care centers, Family Day Homes), the criteria for financial assistance (Early Head Start & Child Care certificate requirements), transportation options, hours of operation, and preferred location in the city. They then help the family gain entry to the center, create a plan for individualized care, and begin hands on support. Referrals to other agencies are made when further family needs are identified.