Building Strong Systems of Support for Young Children's Mental Health: Key Strategies for States and a Planning Tool

• Published in: Policy File 2011
• Main Authors: Smith, Sheila, Stagman, Shannon, Blank, Susan, Ong, Christine, McDow, Kendra
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Children & youth/Families & family life; Health care policy; National Center for Children in Poverty; Poverty

This report describes key strategies for creating a comprehensive system of supports for young children's mental health and provides examples from states using these strategies. It also includes a tool that state planners can use to assess progress and plan steps toward building a strong system of early childhood mental health supports. Young children's mental health provides an essential foundation for early learning and development. In the early years, children's mental health can be seen in a wide range of behaviors that promote engagement in social relationships and learning. An infant who joyfully participates in "conversation" with parents is acquiring a capacity for strong social relationships while learning language and the patterns of communication. A toddler shows positive mental health by actively investigating her environment while gaining new cognitive and motor skills during play and exploration. A preschooler who helps his friend build a robot, shares his favorite markers, and rebuilds his block tower after it tumbles is learning social and problem-solving skills that will fuel learning in preschool and beyond. In sum, young children's "mental health" refers to emotional wellbeing and positive social development from birth through age 5.