Whole Child Matters, a statewide grant initiative, is taking hold at Crossroads Early Childhood Services (ECS).  The initiative supports early learning environments, early childhood caregivers, educators and mental health providers through consultation services in Lake and Ashtabula counties.  The goal of Whole Child Matters is to strengthen the social and emotional development of young children as they are important influences on school readiness.

Early childhood mental health consultants can provide services to early learning environments to engage at-risk children as early as possible.  In addition, they provide mental health consultative services to early childhood caregivers and educators.  State credentialed early childhood mental health consultants will be called into environments to provide collaborative support by promoting social and emotional development and effective responses to disruptive behaviors.  Assistance and resources can also be provided to parents who have children in preschool and child care settings.

Crossroads ECS also has a master trainer who can provide training on such topics as managing challenging behaviors, emotional regulation, and early childhood trauma.

Social and emotional development is tailored to every age. What to look for––social and emotional milestones for a typical 3- year-old:

• Shows concern and affection for others without prompting
• Copies adults and friends (for example, runs when other children run)
• Takes turns in games
• Separates easily from parents
• Shows a wide range of feelings
• Enjoys routines and may get upset with a major change
• Dresses and undresses self
• Enjoys helping with simple household tasks
• Verbalizes toilet needs and may be toilet trained during the day

Tips for parents to promote 3-year-old social and emotional development:

• Set limits and be consistent with what your child can and cannot do; give praise for following the rules
• Support your child to express feelings appropriately
• Talk about your child’s emotions; encourage him/her to identify feelings of others or characters in books
• Arrange play dates for your child to play with other children and help him/her include others in playing, sharing and taking turns
• Help your child solve a problem when upset
• Support your child to develop trust in other familiar adults

To learn more about Whole Child Matters consultation and training services contact, Crossroads Early Childhood Services at 440-358-7370 or visit www.crossroads-lake.org.