On National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled fresh policies and resources. These aim to broaden access to legal representation for certain groups involved in title IV-E foster care: children, parents, kinship caregivers, Indian custodians, and tribes. State and tribal child welfare agencies can now use federal funds for this purpose. These measures align with President Biden’s commitment to address the mental health crisis and his strategy for reshaping mental health care in the United States.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra remarked, “We’re doing everything possible to support our nation’s children, families, and early educators during these crucial early years of development. We understand that healthy social and emotional growth in early childhood sets the stage for lifelong mental well-being.” The new resources aim to aid early childhood programs in collaborating with families to establish healthy and nurturing learning environments, thus preparing children for success in school and beyond.
These resources are specifically tailored to recipients of four early childhood funding streams administered by ACF: the Child Care and Development Fund, the Head Start program, the Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five program, and the Tribal Home Visiting Program. They offer practical recommendations, resources, and strategies to promote healthy child development and integrate mental and behavioral health support into early care and education programs, where young children spend significant time.
These efforts complement the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to addressing the mental health crisis, a crucial aspect of their agenda. They also build upon the HHS Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration, which aims to incorporate the full range of behavioral health care into early childhood systems, ensuring equitable access to evidence-based, culturally sensitive, person-centered care. Furthermore, they align with proposed enhancements to the Head Start Program Performance Standards, which seek to integrate mental health into all aspects of the program and take a proactive approach to supporting the overall well-being of children, families, and staff.
ACF Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Hild emphasized the significance of early childhood programs like child care, Head Start, and home visiting in fostering children’s healthy development. He underscored the importance of supporting the well-being of families and the workforce involved in child care and home visiting to create healthy environments where children can flourish and thrive.
