The Child Development Units Forum

Currently, approximately 100 Child Development Units operate throughout Israel, providing essential developmental treatments as a vital pillar of the public healthcare system. Our units place a strategic emphasis on serving Israel’s social and geographical periphery—areas where access to care is most critical. Established under the initiative of the Ministry of Health, these units were designed to ensure that every child, regardless of their location, has access to high-quality, professional, and timely therapeutic intervention.

In 2014, recognizing the significant operational challenges facing these facilities, several unit directors established The Forum for Community-Based Child Development Units. The Forum was created to serve as an umbrella organization, uniting these units to strengthen their infrastructure and foster professional excellence.

Currently, as the field of child development faces a critical and ongoing crisis, the Forum has become the collective voice for these units in the struggle to preserve public developmental services. We advocate for sustainable state funding to ensure continuity of care, cultivate strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Health and diverse civil society organizations, and take an active role in shaping public policy for early childhood and children with special needs.

Our Vision

Early childhood represents a critical and irreplaceable window of neurodevelopmental and social opportunity. Research consistently demonstrates that the highest Return on Investment (ROI) in social impact is achieved through early childhood intervention.

At the Forum, we believe that every child in Israel—regardless of their background, sector, or location—deserves access to high-quality, accessible healthcare. We are committed to ensuring that every child is given an equal opportunity to bridge developmental gaps and fully realize their unique potential.

Our Areas of Activity

Our Child Development Units provide a comprehensive suite of essential services, including Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and psychosocial support. Most units operate through partnerships with local municipalities and non-profit organizations, employing a holistic, community-centered model that works in seamless coordination with the

The Forum focuses its efforts on the most critical challenges facing the sector today:

Sustainability & Access: Advocating for the necessary subsidization of treatments to ensure no child is left behind.
Workforce Crisis: Addressing the severe shortage of specialized healthcare professionals, a crisis that is particularly acute in underserved regions.
Systemic Innovation: Promoting the integration of community-based perspectives within the public health system and spearheading innovative professional training and clinical supervision for unit staff.

Advocacy and Ecosystem Building We work in close collaboration with civil society organizations to advance the rights of children with disabilities, strengthen public infrastructure, and increase public investment in early childhood development. Our strategic activity takes place at the highest levels—working with government ministries, the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament), and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). Simultaneously, we cultivate an internal ecosystem of peer learning and knowledge-sharing among our units and partner NGOs to ensure professional excellence across the board.

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