Caring Kids

Promoting Healthy Social and Emotional Development

Project Manager/Behavior Support Specialist

• Monica Adrian: madrian@mcoe.org

Social Skills Trainers

• Nou Chang: nchang@mcoe.org
• Norma Torres: ntorres@mcoe.org
• Taylor Frost: tfrost@mcoe.org

Phone: (209) 381-6790 ext. 6146
Address:1460 W. 18th Street
Merced, CA 95340
Fax: (209) 381-6758

Thanks to funding from First 5 Merced County and the Merced County Mental Health Department, the Caring Kids program provides resources and services to children ages 0 to 5 and their families to help support healthy social-emotional development. There is overwhelming evidence that problem behaviors observed in young children often follow them into school and adulthood without early intervention. We help children learn appropriate social skills and help parents and caregivers learn the best approaches to promote positive social/emotional development.

Services Include

• Social/emotional and developmental screening of children (0-5)
• Social skills intervention in small group settings
• Individualized behavior/social skills intervention programs
• Parent and child-care provider training and support
• School based training and support to preschool staff
• Referrals to other agencies and services

Training Topics

• 10 Big Ideas to Help Our Kids Grow to be the Best They Can Be

·         Behavior management (SOS video, taking ABC data, increasing good behaviors and decreasing unwanted behaviors, etc.)

·         Everyday ways to teach social skills, manners, good behavior

·         How to be the children’s 1^st teacher (importance of vocabulary building, minimizing exposure to TV and video games, playing with the children)

·         Parent or Provider support group–using Make Parenting a Pleasure Curriculum

·         Potty training

·         Attachment/Bonding

·         How to promote healthy social/emotional development

·         Introduction to different special needs (ex: Down’s Syndrome, autism)

·         Using Household Items for Play

·         Baby Signs (how to teach baby sign language)

·         Establishing Daily Routines

GOALS