The two years between Early Intervention and kindergarten

 

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The two years between Early Intervention and kindergarten   September 3, 2026 By Saaya Daga

Prince Lacroix’s mother, Eva Santiago, knew there was something different about her son early on. He was late to walk, late to babble, and he played with toys differently than other kids his age. She was a first-time mother at the time, staying in a shelter, and when she asked her pediatrician for support, he referred her to Early Intervention (EI), a federal-state partnership program aimed at supporting infants and toddlers at risk of or with developmental delays. A team from Bay Cove, one of the state’s Early Intervention providers, came out to evaluate him and at around two years old, Prince was enrolled.

Early Intervention became a one hour per week part of both Santiago and Prince’s life. An occupational therapist came to their home, worked with Prince directly, and spent time teaching Santiago activities and strategies she could use between visits to support his development. Slowly, Santiago began to notice a change: Prince started building with Legos, went on playdates through the program, and learned a few songs.

When Prince turned three, in mid-February, his Early Intervention services stopped, as they do for every child in Massachusetts, regardless of how much progress they have made or how much support they still need. It took about another six months, until that September, before he began special education services through Boston Public Schools. In the meantime, there was no developmental support.

Once Prince started preschool, the services were comprehensive, Santiago said. But the months in between left an impact. “I believe that changing the end mark of EI from three years old to when kids step foot into public school, would be really beneficial,” she said, arguing that her son lost valuable learning time waiting for his special education services to begin.

Prince’s diagnoses qualified him for special education services through his school district after he was no longer eligible for Early Intervention. For him, there was developmental support waiting in the distance. But for many children across the state who do not qualify for those services, what happens after they turn three can look very different.

“There are many kids that, when their services are dropped, are lost temporarily for two years. Parents will come in [to the office] and be frustrated about finding an affordable, accessible preschool to support their child’s development,” said Dr. Theresa Callahan, a Leominster-based pediatrician. “Those are the kids that fall behind, and the ones that do not start with their toes on the starting line for kindergarten.”

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