Early Childhood Mental Health

At Pathway we focus on building protective factors and meeting the needs of children and families using evidence-based programs.

Early childhood mental health is the social, emotional, and behavioral well-being of children birth through six years and their families. At these ages children learn more quickly than at any other time in life through rapid development. 

Research shows that early intervention can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn new skills and increase their success in school and life. Families benefit from early intervention by being able to better meet their children’s needs from an early age and throughout their lives. 

Pathway is experiencing an increase in referrals for at-risk young children from all the local school districts, birth parents, adoptive parents, and kinship families we serve. Awareness that early identification and intervention improves future outcomes is growing which leads to referrals and families seeking help.

Pathway staff partner and collaborate with Preschools and Early Learning Centers during their school day hours. The program provides therapeutic support and intervention for teachers to create a trauma-informed classroom. This intervention teaches and promotes healthy social and emotional skills for children individually and as a classroom. Staff provide parent consultations and strengthen parent involvement, as well as coordination and referrals to community services.

By working together, we can identify and address any concerns early on and provide children with the tools and supports they need to succeed.