Community partners
Refer a child in a few minutes.
This page tells referring professionals what Stars needs, how to send a referral, and what happens after.
Print this page. It prints as a one-page reference. Use your browser's print command.
Who refers to Stars
Stars accepts referrals directly from the professionals who see young children first. You can send the referral yourself. A diagnosis is not required to begin.
- Pediatricians and primary care clinics
- OB-GYN and prenatal providers
- Hospitals and NICU teams
- Teachers, preschool staff, and childcare providers
- Social workers and case managers
- Foster-care organizations and caregivers
- Regional Center teams and community organizations
What a referral needs
Only what the online request asks.
No records to attach, no forms, no diagnosis. If you do not have every item, send what you have. Stars follows up on the rest.
About the child
- First and last name
- Date of birth, or the expected due date for a prenatal inquiry
- Parent or caregiver's name
- The family's phone or email, if you have it
About you
- Your full name
- Your role or title
- Your organization
- A work phone or a work email, at least one
- Who Stars should contact first: the family, you, or not sure
What you noticed
Choose from the same thirteen concerns families see, from speech or communication to a diagnosed condition, plus a short optional note.
Helpful background, if known: a previous evaluation, current services, a premature birth or NICU stay, and whether an assessment was recommended.
See the concern listHow to send it
Two ways to refer.
Online takes a few minutes between patients. The phone works too.
Open the professional request
The link below opens the online request with the professional branch selected.
Refer a ChildAnswer by tapping
Child, referrer, concerns, and how Stars should follow up. English or Spanish.
Send it privately
Answers stay in the browser until you send them, and are used only to respond to the request.
Or call Stars
Call (844) 700-9889 and say you are referring a child for an Early Start assessment.
Call (844) 700-9889
Stars talks with every family about what to expect.
Online referral: https://www.starsinfantprogram.com/early-start-assessment/?who=professional
By phone: (844) 700-9889
After you send
What happens next.
A Stars team member reviews the request and contacts the family or you, whichever you chose. Your work phone or email is used only for that follow-up.
The assessment is done by a multidisciplinary team matched to the primary concern. If the child is eligible, the family and the Regional Center create the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP); the Stars assessment helps inform it.
Stars talks with every family about what to expect.
One family
Meet the Stars Assessment Center.
Stars has two doors. The Infant Program, where you are now, concentrates on delivering early intervention therapy. The Stars Assessment Center focuses only on the assessments that qualify children for Early Start services, on its own website and with its own contact.
Not sure which Stars door fits a child? Call (844) 700-9889 and ask.
Keep this page at the front desk.
It prints as a one-page reference: who refers, what a referral needs, and the two ways to send it. Use your browser's print command.
Refer a child now.
The professional request asks for your organization, your role, and how you prefer to be reached. Families can also contact Stars directly.
- No Diagnosis Needed