A CRJ 200 flight crew received a steering inop caution message after takeoff; declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport without incident.

Narrative

After takeoff; upon retracting the landing gear; we got a steering inop caution message together with a WOW [Weight On Wheels] input caution message and a WOW output fail status message. We leveled off at 10;000 ft and conducted the QRH. Also contacted Dispatch to assess the problem. It was determined that a return to the field was the safest action. We declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport landing with the steering inoperative. We landed uneventfully and stopped the aircraft on the centerline of the runway. I had a previous experience with a WOW input fail caution message and it turned out that we had a flat tire which shred on landing. Because of this and also the steering inop I determined that returning to the departure airport's long runway and declaring an emergency was the best and safest option. The emergency was declared since I wasn't sure of my wheels being flat or not and my impaired steering capability upon landing. We landed safely without further incident.