Healthy Steps for Young Children: Sustained Results at 5.5 Years

Cynthia S. Minkovitz, M.D., M.P.P., Donna Strobino, Ph.D., Kamila B. Mistry, M.P.H. et al.

An evaluation of the Healthy Steps for Young Children program has revealed that it can have lasting benefits for young families. The program, which incorporates developmental specialists and services into pediatric care for infants and toddlers age 3 and under, appears to enhance quality of care and improve selected parenting practices, based on interviews conducted with parents whose children had completed the program more than two years prior and were now 5.5 years old.


Parents who had been enrolled in Healthy Steps practiced better disciplining behaviors, encouraged their children to read more, and were more likely to receive anticipatory guidance that matched their preferences than parents who did not complete the program.

To read more about these interventions and other policies and practices designed to aid children's healthy development, visit the Fund's Web site.