Early Childhood
Resources and Links
Infant Mental Health
Irving b. Harris Training Center for Infant and
Toddler Development, University of Minnesota:
The goal of the Harris Center is to provide
accessible information and training that helps parents and other caregivers
create effective, responsible, and caring environments for young children.
http://www.harristrainingcenter.org
Trauma
Researcher/Clinician Bruce Perry, MD, Ph.D.
Dr. Perry is an internationally recognized
authority on children in crisis and is the Provincial Medical Director in
Children’s Mental Health for the Alberta Mental Health Board. Dr. Perry is
featured in some of the video clips in this course.
http://www.scholastic.com/bruceperry
World Association for Infant Mental Health
WAIMH provides education, research, and study of
the effects of mental, emotional, and social development during infancy on later
normal and psychopathological development.
http://www.waimh.org
Zero to Three
Zero to Three’s mission is to promote the healthy development of our nation’s
infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and
those who work on their behalf.
http://www.zerotothree.org
Early Care and Education
greatkidsCT
is a website
devoted to information on parenting, education, health and safety. It also
includes a Training Calendar that lists available workshops across the state for
parents and caregivers.
http://www.greatkidsCT.org
Bureau of Early Childhood Education and Social Services (through Dept. of Education) School Readiness program; child nutrition; preschool special education 860-807-2065
Child Care Assistance
Program
Provides financial assistance for child care to eligible low-income working
families and Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) recipients
1-888-214-5437
www.ctcare4kids.com
Child Care
Infoline
Provides information about child care options and availability
Dial 2-1-1
http://www.childcareinfoline.org
CT Literacy Initiative (through Wheeler Clinic)
Helps support child literacy by developing children’s skills and strengthening
communities and families
1-800-259-9038 x4216
Even Start
Provides families access to training and support for creating a literate home
environment
860-807-2121
http://www.evenstart.org/
Healthy Child Care
Connecticut
Links and develops resources for early care and education providers, health care
professionals and families to improve the health and well-being of children in
child care
1-888-608-7830
Project Thrive
Project THRIVE is a public policy analysis and education
initiative for infants and young children at the National Center for Children in
Poverty (NCCP), funded through a cooperative agreement with the Maternal and
Child Health Bureau. THRIVE's mission is to ensure that young children and their
families have access to high-quality health care, child care and early learning,
early intervention, and parenting supports by providing policy analysis and
research syntheses that can inform state efforts to strengthen and expand state
early childhood comprehensive systems (ECCS). In Connecticut, the ECCS project
is known as ECP, Early Childhood Partners.
http://www.nccp.org/index.html
Regional Education Service Centers (RESC)
Each Service Center works to provide a variety of special programs and services
that address the educational needs of their cooperating towns
860-807-2065 (Bureau of Early Childhood Education and Social Services)
Special Education
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center, Inc. (CPAC)
Provides information and support to parents or other caregivers of children with
disabilities; offer telephone consultations and workshops
1-800-445-2722
http://www.cpacinc.org
CT Birth to Three System
Provides supports and services to strengthen families’ ability to meet the
developmental and health-related needs of their infants and toddlers who have
delays or disabilities
1-800-505-7000
http://www.birth23.org
Special
Education
Resource
Center
(SERC)
Resource for professionals, families, and community members regarding education
and early intervention/prevention for children, youth and their families,
particularly children with special needs, at-risk learners, and diverse learners
860-632-1485 http://www.ctserc.org
Mental Health
Behavioral Health
Partnership
The Department of
Children and Families and the Department of Social Services have formed the
Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership (CT BHP) to plan and implement an
integrated public behavioral health service system for children and families.
The primary goal of the CT BHP is to provide enhanced access to and coordination
of a more complete and effective system of community-based behavioral health
services and supports and to improve member outcomes. Secondary goals include
better management of state resources and increased federal financial
participation in the funding of behavioral health services.
http://www.valueoptions.com/provider/contractspecific/ctgabhp.htm
Early Childhood Consultation Project - Mental
Health Consultation to Childcare
Offers services for children with challenging behaviors in early care and
education centers
Help Me Grow 1-800-505-7000
Advanced Behavioral Health 860-704-6198
Child Guidance Clinics
Provide outpatient services to children and their families, regardless of
ability to pay; offer evaluation, individual, family, and group counseling,
psychiatric services, parent guidance, parent education, and parent support
services
Dial 2-1-1
Consultation Center
Prevention and health promotion services for children and families; mental
health consultation to child care centers; training for early childhood, social
service and mental health providers
203-789-7645
http://theconsultationcenter.org
Family Service Agencies
Provide crisis and mental health counseling for troubled parents, youth and
others; help people locate child care, health care or other needed services near
them
Dial 2-1-1
Mental Health Association
of Connecticut
Information about children’s emotional or behavioral health
1-800-842-1501
http://www.mhact.org/
National Alliance on Mental Illness- CT
Organization (NAMI-CT)
NAMI-CT has a number of
programs focused specifically on families with children and adolescents who have
mental health issues, including NAMI Basics, Learning Together: Changing Minds
(delivered in Spanish) and Parents and Teachers as Allies, an evidence-based
inservice program for mainstream educators to raise awareness about early onset
mental illness
Toll Free: 800-215-3021
www.namict.org
Mental Health Centers
Provide diagnostic and crisis counseling services and other mental health
treatment services to children and parents
Dial 2-1-1
Child Abuse and Neglect
Hotline
Report suspected child abuse; access crisis intervention services
1-800-842-2288
Prevent
Child Abuse CT
(a Wheeler Clinic program)
1-800-793-3588
Other State Agencies