Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning

The University of Mississippi School of Education

Babies and Toddlers In Low Income Families are At-Risk for Emotional Development Delays

Posted on: May 5th, 2019 by Cathy Grace

According to a report from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, sound mental health provides an essential foundation of stability that supports all other aspects of human development—from the formation of friendships and the ability to cope with adversity to the achievement of success in school, work, and community life. According to the Center, life circumstances associated with family stress, such as persistent poverty, threatening neighborhoods, and poor child care conditions elevate the risk of serious mental health problems. Given the poverty rate for children ages 0-5 years in Mississippi is 26% as compared to 20% nationally, the life circumstances for over a fourth of our young children are ripe for them to develop mental health problems. The emotional well-being of young children is directly tied to the functioning of their caregivers and the families in which they live, making successful interventions family centered rather than just focusing on the child.

 A report written in June of 2018 by Jackie Mader and published by Mississippi Today addresses the problems facing families whose children are coping with various types of mental or emotional issues. The article cites numerous studies and reports which rank Mississippi at or near the bottom nationally in the services provided to children facing any one of a number of emotional disorders. As with many of our systems that are intended to support the health development of young children, the mental health system is struggling to maintain basic services to all Mississippians. From 2009 to 2017 the Mississippi Legislature has cut the Agency’s budget by $56 million dollars. A concerted effort has been made to move services to community based centers rather than the institutional approach of the past. As the budget cuts have taken their toll on staffing as well as the array of services previously offered, access to children’s services are uneven and, in the most rural counties, non-existent.

Mississippi was one of the first states in the country to develop a system of care for children in 1993 which is a coordinated network of community based services and supports based on the values of cultural/linguistic competency, family-driven, and youth-guided care. A System of Care is not a program, but a philosophy of how care should be delivered. From information gained in informal interviews, it appears that services for infants and toddlers and their parents are almost non-existent. The lack of professionals in this area is a barrier as well as the rural nature of the state. Some rural states with high numbers of children in poverty have taken steps to address the needs of the youngest children in innovative ways.  This approach was innovative in the early 90’s, but research has moved us light years since then and has refocused us on the emotional development of infants and toddlers. While the basic system has stood the test of time, the younger ages of children and their families who need support and specific interventions specific to emotional health have stressed the system. New strategies are being piloted in other rural states that attempt to bring services to families who have limited transportation and income. Georgia is using federal funds from a variety of programs to craft mental health services specific to infants and toddlers and their families who are at-risk of emotional trauma. Professional development for early care and education teachers on topics related to age appropriate strategies that support healthy social and emotional development are also part of the Georgia model. This includes early childhood mental health specialists who are positioned to visit programs should a request be made.

As the state is planning new early childhood initiatives, it is imperative we address all elements of child development, and that includes emotional health. The question begs to be asked, “What will the Community College Board invest in mental health services for young children since they were recently awarded 10.6 million dollars in federal funds dedicated to services for the 0-5 population in Mississippi?” 

by Dr. Cathy Grace