An IFSP has to include:

• The child’s present levels of development
• The family’s concerns, resources, and priorities
• The goals the team would like the child and their family to reach
• The services the child will receive, including where those services will happen and how often they will happen
• A transition plan for preschool

What does IDEA say about IFSPs in 20 U.S.C. § 1436(d):

(d) Content of plan

The individualized family service plan shall be in writing and contain—

• (1) a statement of the infant’s or toddler’s present levels of physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, and adaptive development, based on objective criteria;
• (2) a statement of the family’s resources, priorities, and concerns relating to enhancing the development of the family’s infant or toddler with a disability;
• (3) a statement of the measurable results or outcomes expected to be achieved for the infant or toddler and the family, including pre-literacy and language skills, as developmentally appropriate for the child, and the criteria, procedures, and timelines used to determine the degree to which progress toward achieving the results or outcomes is being made and whether modifications or revisions of the results or outcomes or services are necessary;
• (4) a statement of specific early intervention services based on peer-reviewed research, to the extent practicable, necessary to meet the unique needs of the infant or toddler and the family, including the frequency, intensity, and method of delivering services;
• (5) a statement of the natural environments in which early intervention services will appropriately be provided, including a justification of the extent, if any, to which the services will not be provided in a natural environment;
• (6) the projected dates for initiation of services and the anticipated length, duration, and frequency of the services;
• (7) the identification of the service coordinator from the profession most immediately relevant to the infant’s or toddler’s or family’s needs (or who is otherwise qualified to carry out all applicable responsibilities under this subchapter) who will be responsible for the implementation of the plan and coordination with other agencies and persons, including transition services; and
• (8) the steps to be taken to support the transition of the toddler with a disability to preschool or other appropriate services.

While IEPs, per IDEA, need to be reviewed at least once a year, IFSPs have to be reviewed at least once every 6 months.

What IDEA says in 20 U.S.C. § 1436(b):

(b) Periodic review

The individualized family service plan shall be evaluated once a year and the family shall be provided a review of the plan at 6-month intervals (or more often where appropriate based on infant or toddler and family needs).

Kentucky Spin has a filled out IFSP available online. You can see it here. 

Sage Pub also has a filled out one. You can see it here. 

Many of the elements of an IFSP are also found in IEPs. For example, IEPs also include present levels of performance, goals, service hours and locations, and parent concerns.

The difference is the focus. In an IEP, the parent section is often one short line. In an IFSP, it might be a full page about their resources, hopes, and concerns. In an IEP, the present levels are mostly about academics. In an IFSP, the present levels are detailed descriptions of the child’s developmental progress across many domains, including motor skills and communication. IFSPs also are often easier to read. The documents are often written with families and for families– not for state audits– which can make them much easier to understand.