Early childhood support

Early Childhood Early Intervention

To support your child in their early years, the federal government has introduced a special support scheme for children with developmental delay or disability, who are aged 0 to six, known as Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI). It’s an approach developed under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has worked with a range of leading Australian early childhood intervention practitioners and researchers to design an Early Childhood Early Intervention approach. This approach identifies the type and level of early intervention support your child needs to achieve their best outcome. It is a family-centred approach that supports greater inclusion in mainstream settings and builds the capacity of your child and family.

NDIS partner in Townsville, Mackay and Toowoomba

The NDIA is teaming up with regional partners to help provide the support your child needs in a quicker and easier way. These partners are referred to as early childhood partners. In three regions where the NDIS has been introduced, UnitingCare is the NDIS partner in community for Early Childhood Early Intervention:

• Townsville region (including some parts of the Hinchinbrook and Burdekin Shires and Charters Towers Regional Council)
• Mackay region (including Mackay City and some parts of the Isaac and Whitsunday Regional Councils)
• Toowoomba (including Toowoomba City and some parts of the Goondiwindi, Maranoa, Western Downs and Southern Downs Regional Councils)

As the early childhood partner, we are experienced in early childhood intervention and provide assistance, advice and access to early intervention and support for your child.

What UnitingCare as early childhood partner can do for you

We will:

• Work with you to determine the best supports for your child and your family
• Identify information, community-based and mainstream supports that can be used to support your child
• If required, help you request NDIS access and once confirmed, work with your family to develop a plan
• Help you with the implementation of the plan