The Early Childhood Development and Education Center's Southeast Early Head Start provides an integrated attachment-based trauma informed model of care. 

The Early Childhood Development and Education Center's Southeast Early Head Start program offers specialized child care services for children under the age of three whose families are experiencing a variety of high-risk factors such as community trauma, interpersonal violence, housing instability, recovery from addiction, as well as the many challenges faced by families where English is a second language.

The Southeast Early Head Start offers an attachment-based, trauma-informed child care program based on teaching methods and mental health intervention approaches that support strong parent-child attachments and enhance stability in the family.

The Southeast Early Head Start Program is a delegate agency of the Maryland Family Network, and is licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Child Care.

Services We Offer

We offer the following services for eligible children and families:

  • Comprehensive Early Head Start program
  • Quality child care
  • Activities to promote parent-child attachment, such as parent-child play therapy, parent training and family engagement opportunities
  • Family support and assistance in accessing medical and other community resources
  • Access to speech, language, and occupational and physical therapies, as needed
  • Consultation and Infant Mental Health Supports to community programs serving women experiencing recovery who have very young children. 

Eligibility

The Southeast Early Head Start provides services to children 6 weeks to 36 months old, and their families, who reside in Baltimore City and meet Federal Income-(receiving any federal assistance program: SNAP, SSI, TANF) or who meet Federal Categories of eligibility, such as, homelessness and foster care regardless of their families  income. 

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday

8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Training

The Southeast Early Head Start also provides training for child care professionals, including:

  • State and national training sessions in Infant mental health and parent -child attachment trainings for professionals of all disciplines by nationally-certified recognized experts
  • Certification in research research-based parent and -child interaction assessment tools
  • Training sessions on helping children and families cope with trauma
  • Family engagement and reflective practice training sessions

Publications

  • 2021, Wee Cuddle & Grow: A Practical Intervention Guide for Nurturing Attachment in Early Childhood Environments, Cosgrove, Norris-Shortle & Taylor.
  • October 2019 Cosgrove, K., Gilkerson, L., Leviton, A., Mueller, M., Norris-Shortle, C., & Gouvea, M. Building Professional Capacity to Strengthen Parent/Professional Relationships in Early Intervention: The FAN Approach. Infants and Young Children.
  • May 2017  Jeanne Alhusen, Carole Norris-Shortle,  Kim Cosgrove, Lauren Marks “ “I’m Opening M Arms rather Than Pushing Away:”  Perceived Benefits of a Mindfulness –Based Intervention Among Homeless Women and Young Children, Infant Mental Health Journal, Volume 38, Issue 3, May/June 2017
  • July 2016   Heffron, Gilkerson, Cosgrove, Heller, Imberger, Leviton, Mueller, Norris-Shortle, Phillips, Spielman, and Wasserman “Using the FAN Approach to Deepen Trauma-Informed Care for Infants, Toddlers, and Families!”, Zero to Three Journal
  • 2014 “Let’s spend more time together like this!” Fussy baby infusion in a Baltimore homeless nursery program, by Kim Cosgrove and Carole Norris-Shortle, Zero to Three Journal
  • 2011 “Mindful awareness play" by Amy Bloom Connolly, Kim Cosgrove, Carole Norris-Shortle and Susan Taylor. Play Therapy Magazine
  • 2010 “Supporting positive parenting for young children experiencing homelessness” by Alison Melley, Kim Cosgrove, Carole Norris-Shortle, Laurel Kiser, Eric Levey, Catherine A. Coble and Audrey Leviton. Zero to Three Journal
  • 2006 "Targeted Interventions for Homeless Children at a Southeast Early Head Start Nursery" by Carole Norris-Shortle, Alison Melley, Laurel Kiser, Eric Levey, Kim Cosgrove, and Audrey Leviton. Zero to Three Journal