Child Development Reform Expands, but Waiting Times Remain Long

The second phase of the child development reform took effect, but parents report long waiting times. The Health Ministry recruited 166 professionals, yet the southern district still faces difficulties. Remote communities are exempt until January 2027. A High Court petition is still pending.

The second phase of the Health Ministry's child development reform took effect today (Sunday, August 2, 2026), extending the new reimbursement policy to all new patients not diagnosed with autism or defined as somatic. However, many parents continue to report long waiting times for essential treatments, while a petition against the reform is still being heard by the High Court of Justice. According to the Health Ministry, since the launch of the first phase in February 2026, more than 166 new professionals have been recruited in the field, and health maintenance organizations have met recruitment and service expansion targets, except in the southern district, where recruiting therapists remains difficult. As of August 1, the policy was extended to all new patients, but remote communities such as the Arava, the Golan Heights, the Jordan Valley, the Negev, and the Dead Sea area were exempted at this stage, with the second phase for them postponed to January 1, 2027. Many parents criticize the outline, reporting waits of more than six months for paramedical treatments, and sometimes over a year for assessment or psychological treatment. A petition filed with the High Court by the Shaliv association and the organization 'Not Half a Person' against the changes in the reimbursement policy is still pending, with the petitioners arguing that the move could harm children in need of treatment. The Health Ministry, on the other hand, claims that the expansion of the workforce and the increase in service supply allow for gradual implementation of the reform. The gap between recruitment data and the on-the-ground feeling raises questions about the pace of service expansion, with the challenge particularly prominent in the southern district.