Prevention & Early Intervention
Building the Foundations of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Infant and early childhood mental health, sometimes referred to as social and emotional development, is the developing capacity of the child from birth to five years of age to form close and secure adult and peer relationships, experience, manage and express a full range of emotions, and explore the environment and learn – all in the context of family, community and culture. (Cohen, Oser and Quigley, 2012. Zero to Three Infant Mental Health Task Force)
Young children grow and change at an amazingly rapid pace in the first few years of their lives. They depend heavily on adults to help them experience, express and regulate their emotions. Through close and secure relationships with parents and other caregivers, infants and young children learn what is expected of them and what they can expect of other people. A strong and secure attachment to the adults in their lives allows young children the ‘secure base’ necessary to explore their environment, learn and relate to others, and the wellbeing, motivation, and opportunity to do so.
The Prevention and Early Intervention Services at The George Hull Centre work with families to support the healthy social and emotional development of their young children.
When whole communities come together for young children they are more able to experience, learn and grow in a safe and healthy environment. The Etobicoke Brighter Futures Coalition (EBFC) is a collaborative group of community agencies that works together to plan, develop, and deliver services that improve the health and well-being of vulnerable young children within the context of their families and their communities. EBFC builds the capacity of local service providers to address the needs of vulnerable families and their young children through collaborative programming, resource sharing, professional development, and collective planning.
Every child should be able to attend a high-quality childcare centre in their community that meets their unique early learning and care needs. Early signs of social and emotional development concerns in young children are often seen as behaviour problems. Many children who are struggling do not receive the type of support they need, when they need it. The Every Child Belongs Program provides consultation, support and resources to licensed childcare centres to ensure that every child can be successful.
When family relationships break down and children’s well-being and safety are at risk, Family Group Conferencing (FGC) is a program that gives the extended family group a voice in the decision-making and planning process to ensure the safety and well-being of children at risk or in need of protection. FGC is a culturally-sensitive, alternative approach to child protection that empowers marginalized families; bringing together family group members to craft a plan of care for their children that addresses concerns identified by child welfare/children’s mental health professionals.
Children begin communicating at an early age. Through communication with important people in their lives, children experience the positive relationships that help them feel secure and ready to explore and learn. Speech-Language Pathologists and Preschool Speech and Language Program work with parents/caregivers and their young children to change their interactions in ways that improve children’s communication skills.