To the Bureau of Early Intervention:

We, the Service Coordinators of New York Early Intervention, petition the cancellation of the reinstatement of IFSP meetings to be held in person that are expected to go into effect on August 15, 2022. During the past 2 years, while IFSP team members have conducted these meetings via phone, Service Coordinators have been more productive in their work by eliminating the need to travel to EIP offices. Travel time, coupled with many missed appointments due to families being a no show, have cost Service Coordinators much wasted time in the past for the IFSP meetings held in person. Remote IFSPs result in fewer cancellations, more efficient and streamlined meetings (prompt start and end times), and less transportation and parking costs for parents, EI personnel, and service coordinators. Additionally, the one hour long “in person” meetings are held in small conference rooms, which is a potential health hazard to Parents, children, EIOD’s and Service Coordinators. In hopes to mitigate the spread of COVID, it is in everyone’s best interest to keep phone meetings as the preferred method of conducting IFSP’s.