Background/Context: For decades, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers have sought to improve the quality of early childhood education (ECE) to foster equitable experiences for young children. States are increasingly investing in evidence-based professional development programs for teachers, including practice-based coaching and early…

Early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) is a capacity-building intervention that aims to enhance the quality of young children's affective environments in order to promote children's social, emotional, and behavioral health. In this study, the effects of ECMHC on children's social-emotional and early academic outcomes over the course of…

This is a randomized controlled experimental, sequential explanatory mixed-methods study that evaluated the effectiveness of an early childhood mental health professional development program, Caring with Caring, that was offered to early childhood educators working with infants and toddlers in a licensed group early childhood care and education…

This study was conducted as part of the project Art of Happiness: Positive Thinking in Preschool and Subjective Well-Being Project, a preventive psycho-educational project. The research was planned as an action study, structured with four interrelated studies. The first study was conducted qualitatively with 15 teachers. First, the data regarding…

Background: Many young children experience the death of a family member and they may be at risk for developing psychological and behavioral problems, but not much is known about how to help young children cope with such a stressful and painful experience. Objective: The purposes of this study are to identify the interventions for bereaved young…

The well-being and mental health of kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) public school teachers has been a topic of national concern during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, teachers were twice as likely to report experiencing frequent job-related stress and difficulty coping with their job-related stress than the…

When expectant mothers are exposed to traumatic events such as natural disasters, their children are at increased risk for developmental and behavioral problems. Many people believe that young children will not be impacted by the traumatic experiences that occur during and following disasters. Therefore, planning for the youngest children at the…

Development of a multicomponent mental health consultation program for a countywide Head Start program is described. The consultation program incorporates strategies from the evidence-based practice, Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT). Through large group professional development trainings before the school year, comprehensive feedback…

Using the structure of the group well-child visit model, the St. Luke's Interdisciplinary Group Well Child (IGWC) model integrates primary care and mental health, recognizing the power and importance of dyadic and family relationships in the first years of life. The pilot of this model attempted to harness the "port of entry" afforded…

Since 1997, the Brazelton Centre UK has offered courses to a wide range of professionals working with newborn infants and their families. In 2009, the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale was recommended in the Healthy Child Programme by the Department of Health. Both the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale and the Newborn Behavioral Observations…

In 1994, the federal Early Head Start (EHS) program was created to address the comprehensive needs of low-income pregnant women and children under age 3. EHS was launched almost 30 years after Head Start was established in 1965 to serve low-income 3- and 4-year-old children and their families with comprehensive early education and support…

Teacher-child relationship building (TCRB) is a play-based professional development programme adapted from kinder training and filial therapy. Intended for early education teachers and students, TCRB is designed to strengthen the teacher-child relationship, improve student behaviour, enhance academic involvement and develop teachers' classroom…

Schools are ideal settings for identifying children and adolescents who have been exposed to traumatic events. They are also ideal for providing evidence-based mental health services, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, to students affected by childhood posttraumatic stress disorder and co-occurring mental health and behavioral…

This article describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of a pilot intervention designed to enhance preschool programs' ability to support children's social-emotional development. Working with two Head Start programs, the intervention included (1) restructuring existing early childhood mental health consultation services; (2) engaging…

Integrating infant mental health services into early education programs leads to better child outcomes and stronger parent-child relationships--the big question is how to do it appropriately and effectively. Clear answers are in this accessible textbook, created to prepare early childhood professionals and programs to weave best practices in…