Laurie Farrell currently works within the Early Intervention system in her home state of Rhode Island. As a program director, she oversees a team of qualified professionals serving families of infants and toddlers with special needs. Her work includes mentoring staff as well as monitoring quality assurance efforts aimed at delivering high quality services that meet the varied needs of individual children and families. She often says it takes a village to run an EI program and works to develop positive relationships to build the village. Prior to her work in EI, Laurie worked in a Head Start program for many years, as both a classroom teacher and, eventually, Disabilities Manager.  This experience provided a foundation in both general and special education, along with opportunities to develop partnerships with families, other community providers and local school departments. Working with staff to identify and develop their talents is an area of special interest. When she isn’t working, you can find Laurie enjoying time with her family or quiet time with a book.