The Early Steps service delivery system supports families and caregivers to increase their sense of competence and confidence about their child's development and learning, and about their role in this process. The key components of service provision provide the foundation for the family-centered Early Steps system:

• Recognize and respect the pivotal role of the family in the lives of children
• Provide families options in service decisions
• Bring services into the child's life rather than fitting the child into services
• Maximize each child's everyday natural learning opportunities
• Enhance each child's development and participation in community life
• Provide every child and family with a cohesive, consistent team for evaluation, intervention, and ongoing assessment
• Identify a team member, based on the child's needs and family's concerns and priorities, to serve as the primary service provider to work with the child and caregiver(s)
• Provide an integrated and collaborative delivery of services through a team approach