Early developmental support as a family-oriented approach is one of the key social services providing assistance and support to children with developmental difficulties, children whose development deviates from typical frameworks, or who are at risk of developing difficulties. This service also includes counseling and support for their parents. It is crucial that the service is accessible and provided in a timely manner by educated professionals. To offer the best possible service to the child, it is important that professionals use a transdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on the full involvement of parents in the entire process. Social workers also participate in this team, contributing to a higher quality service through their knowledge of the law, counseling skills, advocacy, and empowerment. The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical overview of early developmental support and children with developmental difficulties, to present a list of early developmental support service providers in Croatia, and to gain insight into the functioning of early developmental support services through the results of domestic and foreign research. Based on these studies, the challenges faced by parents and professionals are identified. The facts presented in the paper highlight the need for the development of a more effective early developmental support system.