Spotlight on Nurturing Early Childhood Mental Health and Well-Being
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The resources in this Spotlight aim to address the needs of early childhood professionals and policymakers—for understanding stress and trauma in children, managing mental and behavioral health issues, and creating equitable early childhood systems.
Navigating Stress and Trauma Effectively
The Office of the California Surgeon General (OSG) recently launched Safe Spaces: Foundations of Trauma-Informed Practice for Educational and Care Settings, developed in partnership with WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities (RHSC) and Early Childhood Learning and Development (ECLD) teams.
Safe Spaces provides free, online trauma-informed professional learning modules for early learning and care providers and educators to develop their responsiveness and effectiveness. The modules aim to provide a greater awareness of the impact of stress and trauma on health, development, and learning, and they provide key mindsets and strategies for responding with trauma-informed principles to help create the conditions for safe and supportive learning environments for everyone.
Learn more about the OSG’s Safe Spaces initiative.
Register for California Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network Virtual Events
The California Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network delivers consultation services, resources, and training activities for early learning and care center-based program staff, family child care providers, and family, friend, and neighbor caregivers.
January Open-Door Session
Date: Monday, January 29, 2024
Time: 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. (PT)
The monthly Open-Door sessions are facilitated by an experienced Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant in a confidential space for caregivers to reflect, seek supportive input, share ideas and resources, discuss development, and network within a community.
Family, friend and neighbor caregivers, family child care providers, and center-based staff are encouraged to attend with questions, concerns and challenges related to infant, toddler, and young children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health.
Community-Based Support for Early Childhood Health and Well-Being
Fresno County’s Preconception to Age 5 (P–5) initiative aims to foster inclusive economic growth and create a culturally responsive family support model to enhance child outcomes, including reducing preterm births, improving kindergarten readiness, and boosting 3rd grade reading and math proficiency.
The initiative focuses on equity and community engagement, especially for Black and African American families and families in poverty. Initial investments (2020–22) aimed at expanding access to culturally responsive services, empowering community-driven decision-making, and building civic infrastructure, including a dedicated team for guidance and efforts in data sharing and integration.
WestEd evaluated the P–5 portfolio to measure its progress in promoting equity within early childhood systems in the short term and in ensuring sustainable impacts on children and families in the long term.
Subscribe to the E-Bulletin
Stay informed about WestEd’s research, resources, services, events, and career opportunities by subscribing to our E-Bulletin. Our November 2023, Volume 1, issue explores strategies for improving early childhood mental health and education. The issue features resources about the following:
- How to Navigate Children’s Stress and Trauma Effectively
- Community-Based Support for Early Childhood Health and Well-Being
- Addressing Challenging Behavior in Difficult Times
- WestEd Early Childhood Experts at NAEYC
- Become a Desired Results Certified Trainer
- Register for Winter Early Start Institutes
- California’s New Early Learning Support Network
- Become a Beginning Together Inclusion Facilitator
View the November 2023, Volume 1, E-Bulletin.
Follow Us on Social Media
Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn to share your experiences in supporting positive early childhood mental health and well-being.
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