2010 Reports

Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs: Promising Strategies in Four Communities

Woods, Taniesha; Smith, Sheila; Cooper, Janice L.

This brief presents promising approaches to support the social-emotional wellbeing of infants and toddlers through the Part C Program. The strategies discussed in this brief were identified through case studies carried out in four communities: Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles County, California; Doña Ana County, New Mexico; and Southeast Kansas. These case studies were part of a larger project designed to show different policy options that states use to support strategies that target social-emotional development as part of a comprehensive approach to early intervention services. The project included a 50-state survey of Part C Program coordinators, the individuals who are responsible for administering the Part C Program in compliance with federal and state requirements. Findings from this survey are reported in Promoting Social-Emotional Wellbeing in Early Intervention Services: A Fifty State View. As a companion to the survey report, this brief examines exemplary policies and practices that highlight the potential of the Part C Early Intervention Program to play a major role in reducing the risk of long-term social-emotional and behavioral difficulties of vulnerable children.