The Chief Judge of New York's Court of Appeals established the commission in 1988 to focus on the problems of young children and the courts. Its members include judges, State and local officials, attorneys, and child advocates. It began its activities by bringing to the attention of policy makers the problems of the most vulnerable children who pass through the courts; these are young, poor children with serious developmental delays. The commission studied the child developmental research on the components of effective early intervention, Federal requirements, and the existing family court system. It used a variety of strategies to achieve the passage and implementation of the New York Early Intervention Laws. The law was fully implemented statewide by 1994. The results have been promising; more than 15,000 young children are receiving early intervention services, largely in community-based settings. This successful effort taught the commission that it was crucial to bring information on the actual operation of the family court order process to the attention of legislators, that the court can benefit from efforts to spotlight its experiences, and that real system change can occur. Reference notes