Lead Early Intervention Child and Family Connections Monitor

Early Intervention Technical Assistance and Monitoring

Areas of Expertise: Early Intervention, Family Voice, Advocacy, Compliance Monitoring, Technical Assistance.  

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Sarah Thompson serves as the Vander Weele Group’s Lead Child and Family Connections (CFC) Monitor for the Early Intervention Technical Assistance and Monitoring Program (EITAM). She provides compliance oversight and technical assistance services to more than 4,500 early intervention providers and 25 regional offices. She conducts comprehensive monitoring visits at regional intake offices on behalf of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to ensure compliance standards are met in accordance with state and federal policy and procedures. She also facilitates reviews of EI practitioners, including licensed therapists, to ensure services provided to children and families in the EI system are compliant.

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Prior to joining the Vander Weele Group, Sarah worked at a CFC regional office in Central Illinois for ten years. Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University in Health Education and an Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) credential. Sarah’s professional work was guided by her experiences of raising a child in the disability community, which guides her in her current role. This insight has allowed Sarah to be a family advocate, assist in difficult situations, and celebrate the joy of who these children are.