Healthy Steps for Young Children uses a team approach to primary health care. It offers families with children up to age 3 access to a specialist who addresses parents' concerns about child development and behavior and serves as a link between families and their doctors. The following resources offer information on the Healthy Steps program and its effectiveness.
Comparison of the Use of the Healthy Steps for Young Children Model at the Affiliate Sites in Two Diverse Chicago Communities
Wilson (2008)
Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 69 (6B), p. 3544-
Examines the effectiveness of the Healthy Steps program with diverse communities and finds that outcomes from the Chicago sites compared favorably with national sites on four of the five components of the quality of care measures.
Early Childhood Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care: Serving Refugee Families in the Healthy Steps Program
Bucholz & Fischer & Margolis & Talmi (2016)
Zero to Three, 36(6)
Describes a refugee family and their young child who were seen by a Healthy Steps specialist in pediatric primary care that provided comprehensive, family-centered care to young children and their families.
Healthy Steps at 15: The Past and Future of an Innovative Preventive Care Model for Young Children (PDF - 315 KB)
Barth (2010)
Describes the evolution of the Healthy Steps program, reviews costs and funding, profiles existing program sites, and discusses the effect of health care reform on the program.
Impact of Healthy Steps on Developmental Referral Rates
Hughes, Herrera-Mata, & Dunn (2014)
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Presents findings from a study indicating that incorporating a modified Healthy Steps curriculum positively impacts the identification of early developmental delays and provides referral practices for those problems.
A Modified Healthy Steps Model to Improve Resident Training in Behavioral and Developmental Care
Randolph & Stenberg & Socolar & Wysocki & Fuller & Check & Brown & Steiner (2011)
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics,
Assess whether implementing a modified Healthy Steps for young children program in residency clinics could improve resident education and their perception of the quality of care provided for common behavioral and developmental issues.