The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) endorses the development of national guidelines for the identification and eligibility for Part C, states early intervention (EI) system for children born low birth weight (LBW) and/or preterm in the United States. Children born early typically spend their first days of life in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks depending on their medical status. Major medical conditions such as cerebral palsy (CP), sensory impairments (vision, hearing) and other disabilities may be outcomes of LBW and/or preterm birth. Children born with a diagnosed physical or mental conditions associated with high probability of developmental delay may be identified during the first year of life are eligible for EI services, Part C. It has been well established that the smallest infants born LBW and those born extremely preterm have the poorest outcomes, especially if they have severe respiratory distress and/or major brain bleeds during the neonatal period, and they would qualify for EI services under health conditions in most states. There is abundant evidence that this is a population at high risk for poor outcomes and the origins of their poor outcomes begin prenatally and in infancy. The costs of the poor health, learning, behavior, school achievement, and long-term life outcomes of LBW and/or preterm infants are substantial, indicating the need for identifying and providing EI services early on in order to improve outcomes and reduce the long-term costs.