Mountain States Early Head Start
Infant to Toddler Program of the Mountain States Group, Inc.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND DISABILITY SERVICES

The MSEHS curriculum, for all program models, is based on the Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers and Twos (second edition).  The program embraces the fundamental beliefs on which the Creative Curriculum was developed.  Staff also integrate other resources and materials which the support the program’s philosophy and vision. The Head Start Performance Standards are followed closely.

The Creative Curriculum is built on theory and research and focuses on meeting children’s basic needs, fostering social/emotional development, developing secure attachments, and supporting cognition and brain development. Additional materials often used in work with children and families include Seeing is Believing, a video taping strategy used to enhance the relationship between parent and child, and the Program for Infant and Toddler Care (PITC).

Screening tools used include:

–          Rest, Relationship, Sustenance:  A Social-Emotional Screening for Infants 0-4 Months

–          The Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Questionnaire (for children 5 months to 3 years)

–          The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (developmental screening for children 4 months to 3 years)

A process is in place for making referrals for further evaluation and services.

For the child’s ongoing assessment, staff and parents use an individualized Developmental Portfolio, which also includes a Developmental Checklist.  The checklist is based on the Creative Curriculum’s Developmental Continuum.  The Portfolio includes photos, observations, stories, work samples, and screenings which allow staff to easily see progression of development in all areas.  It is also a wonderful record of the child’s first three years of life and is given to the parent(s) at the end of the child’s participation in EHS.

Parents and Family Consultants work together to identify the child’s individual goals using information from screenings as well as the parent’s knowledge of the child’s unique strengths, abilities, needs and interests.  The Creative Curriculum Learning goals are the framework from which goals and strategies/activities are planned for the child.  They are:

–          To learn about self and others (social-emotional development)

–          To learn about moving (physical development)

–          The learn about the world (cognitive development)

–          To learn about communicating (language development)

Disabilities

Interagency Agreements are maintained with local school districts and the Idaho Infant Toddler Program (Part C agency).  This ensures the collaboration between MSEHS staff and the community organizations serving children with disabilities and that enrolled children receive the services they need. 

Sometimes children who already have an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) are referred to EHS from the part C agency and sometimes a concern is identified by EHS staff and the referral is made to part C for evaluation and enrollment in that program.  A process is in place for making referrals for services. The program monitors enrollment numbers closely and maintains, on average, a special needs enrollment percentage of 15-25%.  Children with special needs participate in all models and are included in all program activities.