Young children’s social-emotional development and mental health influence every critical developmental task of the first five years whether physical, cognitive, linguistic, or social-emotional. The NCIOM’s Task Force on the Mental Health, Social, and Emotional Needs of Young Children and Their Families was charged with examining the current mental health needs of young children and developing recommendations to ensure that there are systems and services in place to meet the mental, social, and emotional health needs of young children, ages 0-5, and their families.
This report summarizes the findings of the task force and its recommendations to enhance North Carolina’s early childhood systems that support the social-emotional development and mental health of young children.