Promoting the Emotional Well-Being of Young Children and Families: The View from the U.S. Jane Knitzer Ed.D Director, National Center for Children in Poverty Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, NY, NY April Oslo, Norway

Overview Setting the Context On-the-Ground Challenges Emerging Strategies Using the Lessons

The Context: U.S. Demographic Realities Of the 10 million low-income young children in U.S. half are poor, half are near-poor. The younger the children, the more likely to be in poverty. The younger the children, the more harmful poverty is to developmental outcomes. Between poverty among children under six increased by 16% (all children, 12%).

The Context: Defining Social & Emotional Well-being in Young Children The development of age-appropriate ability to: –Manage emotions ( anger, frustration) –Relate adults (parents foster parents) –Relate to peers –Feel positively about themselves (curious, safe in exploring the world, approach learning eagerly)

The Context: Key Research Findings The earliest parental relationships set the stage for healthy brain development Toxic levels of stress exposure have long-term negative impacts on brain development The more demographic and psychosocial risk factors the greater the odds of poor outcomes Poor social and emotional skills predict poor early school failure (which predicts later school problems and anti-social behavior There are known windows of opportunity for intervention

Perspectives from the Field Too many young children are sad, bad or mad Expulsions from child care (significant problem) Conflicts around cultural expectations Staff lack skills to identify or help high-risk children & families (e.g. challenging behavior or child or family trauma-related distress) Widespread barriers to effective parenting Primary care doctors not routinely addressing social & emotional developmental needs

Foci for Intentional Strategies to Improve S/E Well-being Promote social & emotional skills for early school success in young children Help parents (foster parents, kin etc) be more effective nurturers and teachers Expand competencies of other adult caregivers to promote healthy social & emotional development Ensure that seriously troubled young children & families get help

Building Intentional Services and Strategies: Principles Grounded in developmental knowledge Relationship-based Infused into existing early childhood networks and services (where children and families are) Family-centered Responsive to level of need Attentive to and respectful of community norms, cultures Judged by outcomes that are developmentally & policy relevant (e.g., early school success)

Emerging Practice Strategies To Help All At-risk Young Children and Families Ensure higher-risk young children are in high quality, comprehensive programs –Early Head Start, Head Start –Evidence-based home-visiting programs –Parent supports ( Incredible Years) Increase capacity of early childhood work force to promote s/e well-being in young children and families –Mental Health Consultation –Classroom-based strategies (DECA, Tools of the Mind) Engage pediatricians more actively –Emerging child and parent-focused screening models –Reach Out and Read –Medical & Legal Advocacy

Strategies to Help the Highest Risk Infants, Toddlers, Young Children & Families Embed more intensive family-focused services into early childhood programs –In Early Head Start: Family Connections –In Home-Visiting Programs: Every Child Succeeds Embed more intensive services into settings where higher risk families are concentrated ( courts, foster homes, shelters) –Screening, crisis intervention all young children after violence- related trauma (Arizona) –Multi-dimensional foster care treatment for young children – Court-linked interventions ( Miami-Dade) Parent-support for higher-risk parents –Nurturing Parenting Curricula Interventions for young children with diagnosed emotional and behavioral disorders

Putting The Pieces Together: Through A Public Health Lens: San Mateo County, CA Touch Points Home-visiting programs linked to level of risk Data system to track outcomes Children’s budget

Toward the Future Support research on interventions Take strategies to scale Track outcomes linked to early school success Make the return on investment case for more intensive interventions Create more responsive fiscal strategies

If you would like more information, contact: Jane Knitzer at Or visit the NCCP web site