More Than Numbers: Early Intervention Service Coordinators’ Caseloads, Compensation, and Professional Value

The joint position statement, Service Coordination in Early Intervention , from the Division for Early Childhood and IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association, included calls to action and recommendations that the early intervention (EI) field address the workload and compensation challenges faced by service coordinators. This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study used a national survey and focus groups to understand the perspectives of service coordinators regarding these challenges. Data pertaining to the number of families served, pay, greatest needs, and perceptions of professional value are presented. Participants recommended caseloads of 40 to 50 families, but any caseload number is complicated by level of family needs and required frequency of contacts. In all, 61% of participants felt they were inadequately compensated, with comments suggesting that poor pay was a reflection of their professional value in the field. Consistently, participants emphasized that addressing caseloads and compensation were their greatest needs. Implications for the calls to action in the joint position statement are discussed.