Providing Early Start Services (Ages 0–36 months)
Support Infants and Toddlers. Strengthen Families. Build Your Practice.
We partner with providers to expand access to high-quality, family-centered early intervention services across our diverse communities.
Why Early Start Services are Critical
Early Start services play a unique and meaningful role. Service providers:
- Support children during critical stages of development
- Work closely with families in everyday routines
- Deliver services that have lifelong impact
- Build sustainable, community-based practices
Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC) is actively expanding its Early Start provider network to meet growing community needs, particularly in areas such as:
- Physical Therapy
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ESDM, FloorTime)
- Occupational Therapy
- Feeding Therapy
- Speech Therapy
How Early Start Services Work
Early Start services are designed differently than traditional, clinic-based care.
Providers deliver services:
- In natural environments (home, childcare, community settings)
- Through a family-centered coaching model
- As part of a collaborative team guided by the IFSP
- Embedded in the child’s daily routines and activities
This approach supports both the child’s development and the caregiver’s ability to support progress throughout the day.
Partner with GGRC to Expand Early Start Services for Underserved Communities
Service providers are essential bridges to our communities. It is through the services you offer that GGRC is able to expand access to Early Start services and reduce barriers to timely service delivery.
Language Access
Language access refers to removing barriers that prevent community members, who speak languages other than English, from participating in regional center services. GGRC’s threshold languages include: Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic and Russian.
Removing language barriers and increasing language access can be done by:
– Providing flyers and informational documents in commonly used languages
– Getting documents and reports translated into the preferred language of the family you are serving
– Hiring multi-lingual staff and training all staff on language access
– Telling GGRC the languages you can support in your services
– Asking families their preferred language at time of your service intake
Geographic Access
Geographic access is the availability of services within a reasonable distance from where someone lives. GGRC is looking for Early Start service providers who provide services in a wide geographic area within their county. Some examples of geographic areas with the most need include but are not limited to:
San Francisco County
– Bayview
– Chinatown
– Hunters Point
– Tenderloin
San Mateo County
– East Palo Alto
– Half Moon Bay/Hwy 1 Coastal Communities
Marin County
– West Marin communities (e.g. Stinson Beach, Point Reyes, etc.)
Cultural Responsiveness
The San Francisco Bay Area is a vibrant and diverse region. Service providers play a crucial role in delivering culturally responsive services by understanding the communities around them and those they serve.
Some ideas for increasing cultural responsiveness include:
– Teaching staff practices around cultural humility, implicit bias recognition, and ways to learn more about the culture, beliefs, and values of those they support
– Getting to know the people you serve, what is important to them and adapt services to meet their values and beliefs when appropriate
– Staying current on best and promising practices related to culturally responsive clinical practices and culturally responsive trauma informed practices
– Collaborating with people and organizations with common goals
– Developing relationships with cultural agencies that reflect the cultures represented in those you serve
– Celebrating other people’s stories and including marginalized perspectives
Together with our partners, GGRC is working to provide a wider variety of services to make it easier for community members to access the services they need. The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) administers the Service Access and Equity Grant program, which is funding awarded annually to implement strategies that increase service access and equity in regional center services.
Opportunities for New and Existing Providers
GGRC is seeking qualified providers to deliver Early Start services for infants and toddlers (birth to 36 months in age) with developmental delays or disabilities. This is a great opportunity to start new services or add to your existing GGRC services.
New Providers
If you are interested in starting an Early Start practice, GGRC offers structured pathways to help you:
- Navigate the vendorization process
- Understand service requirements
To learn more about being a GGRC Service Provider and the vendorization process, please click the links below:
Existing Providers
If you are already vendorized or providing related services, use the DDS Provider Portal to:
- Expand into Early Start services
- Add new service codes or locations
- Grow your practice in high-demand areas