EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION

ECI of North Central Texas, a state-funded early childhood intervention (ECI) program hosted by MHMR of Tarrant County, assists families whose infants and toddlers need extra help in reaching their developmental milestones. While ECI of North Central Texas serves a nine-county area and has administrative headquarters in Fort Worth, it also has regional offices including one in Waxahachie at 106 South Jackson Street, Suite 1. The Waxahachie office staff works with families in all Ellis and Navarro communities and also in Johnson County households that are east of I-35.

ECI offers screening and assessment services at no cost to families, and for children who are identified as having developmental delays, atypical development or medical needs, further assistance is provided. ECI recognizes that children learn best through routine interactions with family members or other caregivers and therefore works with families in developing a plan that addresses both the child’s needs and the family’s concerns and priorities. The plan may include therapy services, nursing and social work intervention, nutrition services, psychological services and visits by early childhood intervention specialists who model activities designed to improve the child’s speech, physical movements, social interaction and other areas of normal development. ECI also offers activities with the child and parent together and/or just with the parent to address parent-child relationship issues, family stress, difficult child behaviors, related to sleeping, eating or coping, and similar concerns.

Some children reach developmental proficiency after a few months of enrollment in ECI services while others remain with the program until they turn three years of age at which time ECI staff help transition these children into the local ISD services or community based programs such as Head Start.