There are a variety of resources available to early childcare and education programs on mental health for young children. Many of these resources are available on the internet. Some are articles while others are “tool kits” that include links to many organizations and services.
In addition to this special issue of Healthy Childcare®, all five issues of 2006 include one article on early childhood mental health. The Healthy Childcare® website includes a complete library of all articles.
The Zero to Three Infant Mental Health Resource Center promotes the healthy social, emotional, and intellectual development infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and those who work on their behalf. Zero to Three provides a number of resources ranging from training to research to publications that can be used in the early childhood setting. Brain Wonders has a section for caregivers that outlines various development stages in young children.
Connect for Kids has an online Early Childhood (0-5) Mental Health and Development Toolkit with resources for gauging development stages and disciplinary concerns.
The National Early Childhood TA Center provides an Early Childhood Mental Health, Social-Emotional Development, and Challenging Behaviors section on their website.
The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development offers both an early childhood and mental health areas with many resources for use in childcare.
The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) has a National Mental Health Information Center. At the website, you will find three series of monographs on Promising Practices in Children’s Mental Health.
The National Childcare Information Center’s website lists resources and publications for early childhood mental health.
A Mental Health Toolkit: Mental Health Resources is available on the Head Start Bureau’s website and has links to dozens of resources and printed materials.
Internet Resources
Connect for Kids, www.connectforkids.org/node/3003
Head Start Bureau, www.headstartinfo.org/infocenter/mentalhealth/mh_tkbok.htm
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, gucchd.georgetown.edu
Healthy Childcare, www.healthychild.net
National Child Care Information Center, www.nccic.org/poptopics/ecmhealth.html
National Early Childhood TA Center, www.nectac.org/topics/menhealth/menhealth.asp
US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/child
Zero to Three, www.zerotothree.org/imh
