Component 4
Helping children who are experiencing mental health difficulties
The early childhood years have been highlighted as a critical period when children are developing significant social, emotional and cognitive skills. When children experience mental health problems it can limit their capacity to access valuable learning opportunities. This in turn can impact on children’s ability to make successful life transitions, and learn and make progress in the longer term, which emphasises the importance of intervening early.
Early intervention can make a significant difference to reducing mental health difficulties in children and can result in dramatic, practical benefits that are sustained over time. While there is much evidence to support the effectiveness of early intervention, less than one third of children with mental health difficulties receive any professional support.
Mental health and early childhood services
Through their close relationships with children and their families, early childhood staff are ideally placed to notice when children show early signs of difficulties. Supporting early intervention involves understanding the pathways to support services and assisting children and families to support these services. By continuing to stay engaged with the family, closely liaising with parents, carers and support services, staff can make a positive contribution to children’s mental health and their future development.
Component 4 focuses on:
- Early recognition of children showing signs of possible mental health difficulties
- Reducing stigmatising attitudes around mental health
- Supporting services to develop processes and procedures for addressing the needs of these children.
By providing early childhood services with the skills, knowledge, and resources to assist children who are having difficulties, children and families can get the help they need early, before problems become entrenched or more resistant to intervention.
Have a look at the Component 4 Information for Families pack
