Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) programs support the mental health of children, families, and staff every day. Early childhood mental health is the same as social and emotional well-being. It is a child’s developing capacity to express and regulate emotions, form trusting relationships, explore, and learn-all in the cultural context of family and community. The mental health of children and the adults that care for them is essential for school readiness.

• Promoting Children’s Social and Emotional Well Being
• Understanding and Eliminating Expulsion in Early Childhood Programs
• Site in Spanish
• Depression in Mothers: More Than the Blues-A Toolkit for Family Service Providers
• Nurture Them, Nurture Yourself: Responding Positively to Your Child’s Behavior English (PDF)
  • Spanish translation (PDF)