The Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CECMHC) was funded as an Innovation and Improvement Project by the Office of Head Start in October 2008. The 3-year grant brings together a group of university researchers to develop strategies to help Head Start programs build a strong mental health foundation for their children, families and staff. The site houses resources for Head Start mental health consultants, staff, families, administrators and T&TA Providers.
Early Identification & Family Engagement
- Tips for Supporting a Positive Beginning to New Relationships with Families
- Common Practices to Show Respect to Families- checklist
- Tips for How to Explore Culture and Beliefs
- Additional resources and weblinks
Healthy Mind, Healthy Body
- Taking Care of Ourselves: Stress & Relaxation
Stress is natural and can be inevitable. But stress can take a toll on your health and effectiveness as an early childhood educator or parent. It impacts the quality of care that you can give. When you are too stressed it is difficult to offer the praise, nurturance, and structure your children need.
Social-Emotional & Behavior
- Tutorial: Recognizing and Addressing Trauma in Infants, Young Children and their Families
- Facilitating Individual Interventions to Address Challenging Behavior: A Toolkit
- Partnering with Families in Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
- 12 Downloadable posters on strategies to reduce stress (PDF)
- These resources include one-page posters with tips for families and providers to use to help nurture the social emotional health of toddlers during specific daily routines including: dressing, meal times, play time, resting and diapering. Each poster offers a rationale for using the tips that are based on research.