The Herald Times: Grant will help address early childhood mental health (6.18.18)
Children at Monroe County United Ministries’ early learning centers will have a new resource available to them this coming school year: a therapist.
The goal of the new full-time position is to meet the growing mental health needs of young children.
“Too often, that socio-emotional component is overlooked when we talk about school readiness,” said Erin Predmore, MCUM’s executive director.
The organization currently serves 180 children at its two early learning centers, where low-income families receive first priority for enrollment and fees are based on a sliding scale.
Predmore said she has noticed an increase in frequency and intensity of children exhibiting problem behaviors that are often indicative of traumas at home: being disrespectful to teachers, cursing, an inability to sit with or deal with a group of peers and not understanding when someone is saying “no” for their own safety, as well as continually hitting friends.
“Instead of one to two kids, we’re now seeing 10 to 12 kids,” Predmore said.
To help these children, and their families, Monroe County United Ministries received a grant to fund an early childhood therapist, with the plan of hiring someone before the school year begins in August. Bloomington Health Foundation awarded a $181,500 grant that the organization can pay over the next three years.
Monroe County United Ministries, which serves children from infancy to age 6, is not the only group that works with children that has seen an increase in mental health issues.
Becky Rose, Monroe County Community School Corp.’s director of student services, said social workers and school psychologists are trying different types of interventions, determined case by case, including family counseling.
“We do have more children dealing with mental health issues,” Rose said, related in large part to the opioid crisis and children dealing with crises at home.
Markay Winston, MCCSC’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said she is excited that Monroe County United Ministries received a grant for a therapist.
“It is invaluable to be able to provide these types of services earlier and earlier,” Winston said. “It’s so important to build up those social and emotional skills at a young age.”
It’s estimated that nationwide, between 10 and 14 percent of children ages 5 and younger experience social and emotional challenges, according to zerotothree.org, and these can impede a child’s development and eventual school readiness.
Children at Monroe County United Ministries’ early learning centers will not be required to attend therapy if a parent chooses to opt out, Predmore said, adding that so far, all the feedback she’s heard about the new position has been positive.
“We’re all on the same team. They want their kids to be successful, and so do we,” she said.
Link to original article: https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/grant-will-help-address-early-childhood-mental-health/article_66d4751e-736a-11e8-8e0f-c7fc85bfe93e.html
