Steps involved in developing a high quality child development program are outlined and discussed briefly. They are: (1) determining what kind of program to provide (information and referral, family-centered, community-centered or a combination); (2) establishing priorities (a priority checklist is included); (3) identifying existing resources in the community such as counseling, health, nutrition and social welfare services; (4) trying it out: planning for staff development, parent involvement and documentation as a means of feedback and evaluation; and (5) building a program-reviewing process and developing a mechanism for introducing new ideas and expanding existing services to meet the needs of the people participating in the program. (MS)