Initiative

Healthy Social Behaviors in Child Care Centers Project

The Healthy Social Behaviors Project (HSB) supports early childhood educators in birth-five classrooms in licensed child care centers to develop pro-social early childhood learning environments that help to prevent suspension and expulsion related to challenging behaviors. Behavior Specialists, Pyramid Model Fidelity Coaches and an Education Specialist serve all 100 counties across NC. Utilizing the evidence-based Teaching Pyramid Model as its framework, the project offers consultation and individualized coaching to support teachers’ development of nurturing and responsible relationships, high quality supportive environments, targeted social and emotional supports and intensive interventions for those children needing additional supports to develop social-emotional competencies. Educational resources, community connections and training for the greater early childhood community are also available.

Home Pathways Action Map Healthy Social Behaviors in Child Care Centers Project

Fast Facts

Relevant Actions	Action 3.16, Action 3.17, Action 3.18
State or Local?	Local
Counties	All Counties
Lead Agency	NC Child Care Resource & Referral Council/Child Care Resources Inc.
Type of Agency	Non-profit
Racial Equity Lens	Disaggregates data reporting to guide strategies and assess impact Promotes policies and evidence-based practices known to contribute to successful development of children’s social-emotional competencies Promotes organizational equity through professional development, reflective supervision, and valuing relationships.
Community Voice	The HSB Project utilizes a practice-based coaching model that prioritizes collaboration with client teachers and director in goal setting, decision making and strategy implementation. Coaches use motivational interviewing approach in discussions with teachers and administrators rather than an “expert telling” approach to maximize engagement. All HSB staff have unlimited opportunities to lead the development and expansion of activities without regard to cultural or ethnic identification.
Impact	Significant reduction in expulsion of young children from its client centers for social, emotional or behavioral reasons, Significant improvements in children’s social-emotional competencies on assessments.
Next Steps	Continuation of Pyramid Model Key Practices Technical Assistance to reach more teachers with developmentally appropriate evidence-based strategies for creating pro-social classrooms not based on challenging behaviors. Expansion of the project’s Program-Wide Pyramid Model Fidelity Coaching, an intensive intervention in all birth-five classrooms in a center, designed to equip all staff with knowledge and strategies to create pro-social classrooms and facilities, prevent/address challenging behaviors in young children, and promote social-emotional development with children’s families.
Primary Partners	Division of Child Development and Early Education NC Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Council Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Licensed Child Care Centers
Primary Funders	Division of Child Development and Early Education utilizing federal Child Care Development Fund dollars.
Contact	Smokie Brawley

Active Counties

Pathways Action Map