Mission: KEEP is designed to develop, implement, and evaluate a model for using progressive, positive behavioral supports to maintain early childhood placements for children with disabilities and behavior challenges.

Overview: Keeping Everyone in Early Childhood Programs: Maintaining Inclusive Placements for Children With Challenging Behaviors (KEEP) is an important project because it addresses one of the most intense challenges of inclusion. Children whose behavior is disruptive, aggressive, or unusual are particularly challenging to include in typical early childhood programs. Often, it is difficult for parents to find a child care program willing and capable of caring for their child. If a program can be found, the child may not receive the care, education, and support needed in order to maintain this placement. We believe that KEEP will provide an opportunity for some of Missoula's children to receive high quality care with the supports they need in order to be successful. In addition, we believe this model will provide important information on what kind of support is really needed in order to maintain inclusive early childhood placements for children with challenging behaviors and we will be carefully measuring both the cost and the impact of these specialized supports as we work to create a model for service which can be widely replicated.

Outcomes:The model presents a continuum of support which includes 1) a base of high quality, developmentally appropriate practices, 2) a set of core behavior beliefs and strategies which create a positive approach to guidance, and 3) specialized intervention strategies and techniques which can be used for children whose behavior creates significant challenges in the typical early childhood setting.

Project Description: KEEP is a four-year model demonstration project (October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2005) funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.

Project Period: October 1, 2001 - September 30, 2005