Project Right Steps Child-Focused Model

Project Right Steps, one of the Maryland mental health pilot projects, addresses the needs of child care providers and parents that are dealing with children (0-5) with challenging behaviors. Project Right Steps is designed to support changes in the child’s behavior through the specialist’s work with both the child care provider and the family. Specialists offer services including observation, assessment and consultation. They suggest strategies to assist the provider(s) and parents in addressing the child’s challenging behaviors. Services are provided at child care centers, centers operating under a letter of compliance, family child care homes, Head Start/Early Head Start programs, Nursery School programs and public PreK/Kindergarten settings.

Project Right Step specialists also provide telephone and on-site technical assistance for families and child care providers about mental health issues that do not meet the criteria of an active case, but still requires the provision of basic information and resources.