2010-2012 Strategic Focus Areas
Ready for Life and Learning: Healthy Social & Emotional Development in Early Childhood
Young Children's Mental Health: Piloting Early Identification and Early Intervention in Kansas Communities third-year renewal form is available here (by invitation only)
Young Children's Social and Emotional Development RFP - closed Oct. 1, 2012.
What rests at the very foundation of a child's readiness for interacting with the world and learning in school, but is so basic we often take it for granted? You know it when you see it--babies who smile and respond to your attention, toddlers who explore their world with wide-eyed curiosity, young children who share toys and games. Loving, consistent relationships and caregiving create the ideal environment for healthy social and emotional growth. Early toxic stress--such as that caused by stressed families, violence, or the loss of a parent--may short-circuit the development of important skills and abilities for relating positively to others and dealing with adversity. The result too often shows up in child care programs and preschools as behavior problems. The nationwide rate of expulsion for preschool now exceeds, by three times, the expulsion rate from Kindergarten through high school.
The Health Fund's focus on early childhood mental health aims at four improvements in Kansas:
- Expanding consistent screening for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children
- Improving accessibility to early interventions
- Enhancing professional readiness for work with young children
- Increasing awareness of the importance of early prevention and intervention
Achieving these goals will depend on a skilled and available workforce in health and child services joining in a coordinated effort to give all of our children the best start possible. Raising awareness of this important aspect of overall health and well-being is a job for everyone.
A news release with background on our 2010-2012 focus areas is available here.