Perspectives of Early Intervention Program Directors on Provider Retention Efforts

Abstract

There is a national shortage of early intervention (EI) providers for young children with disabilities or developmental delays. This needs assessment study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews to explore the perspectives of EI program directors ( n = 27) across a large state on provider retention efforts. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified 12 themes across four overarching categories—(a) compensation and financial incentives, (b) program management and organization, (c) positive climate and culture, and (d) training and mentoring. We discuss implications and suggestions for future research.