Maryland SEFEL

Maryland has a strong history of excellence in early childhood education and a commitment to infant/early childhood mental health. As a result, Dr. Carol Ann Heath-Baglin and Dr. Al Zachik of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene co-chair a state partnership called the Early Childhood Mental Health Steering Committee (ECMHSC) that includes families, state and local child serving agencies, and early childhood providers and advocates. Through the work of the ECMHSC, Maryland was initially one of three states to receive a grant from the Center for Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL).

The goal of the CSEFEL initiative is to enhance capacity to strengthen social and emotional development of young children. This is being done by building a consistent, evidence-based professional development framework for the early care and education workforce.

The role of CSEFEL is to provide training and technical assistance on the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence to State teams, demonstration sites, trainers, and coaches. Maryland’s role is to plan and coordinate the initial and ongoing implementation of the Pyramid model statewide.
 

The Maryland SEFEL partnership includes the University of Maryland, the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children’s Mental Health, the Center for Maternal and Child Health, Maryland Infants and Toddlers and Preschool Special Education Services, Head Start Collaboration, Child and Adolescent Services, the Maryland Committee for Children, Inc., and Abilities Network, along with the CSEFEL team consisting of Vanderbilt University and Georgetown University.
 

Read more about the Maryland SEFEL initiative, including accomplishments, planned future activities, and members of the state and national planning teams.