Young Child Development Project

FSGC’s Young Child Development Project is a creative, interactive approach to parenting and caring for children who need some extra attention when it comes to their emotional and behavioral development. The program will implement two proven strategies for helping children from birth through preschool age and their parents.

Strategy 1: Weekly Parent/Infant Therapeutic Groups

The Young Child Development Project offers a weekly group, called Hand in Hand, led by three trained, qualified mental health professionals for parents and their infants and young children. Parents learn by doing and gain confidence as they learn to successfully care for their child and develop a healthy relationship with them.

To participate in Hand in Hand, children must be between birth and 3 years old and show areas of concern in their social emotional development. If the attendance of an older child is necessary for a family to be able to attend, this will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Parents will learn and polish their parenting skills through a variety of activities.

• Playing and working together through songs, nurturing, group activities and even silly, fun activities allow parents the opportunity to gain new skills and confidence.
• Exploration allows parents to practice skills like following their child’s cues and negotiating struggles.
• Snack time promotes the idea that eating can be a social event during which parents and children can communicate and nurture.
• Group therapy for parents provides an opportunity for parents to discuss issues that relate to them as parents or affect their ability to parent.
• Goodbye ritual helps both parents and children transition from group to home.

Strategy 2: On-Site Mental Health Consultation for Preschools and Day Care Centers

FSGC provides on-site mental health consultation to childcare and preschool professionals at no charge. The consultation enables daycare and preschool staff to better meet the emotional and developmental needs of at-risk children while also increasing caregivers’ skill in dealing with the children and providing educational information to parents.

Consultations are initiated by childcare staff or parents as they become concerned about a particular child’s development.

The consultant observes the child in the daycare or classroom setting and then makes recommendations to the staff and parents about the child.  Recommendations are tailored to the unique needs of the child, childcare staff and the family. They are designed to enhance and support the child’s functioning in his or her childcare center or school. Recommendations may include a change to the classroom routine, suggestions to staff and parents on new ways to connect with the child and referrals for further assessment or services.

Parents play an important role in the consultation process. Parents must give their consent for the mental health professional to be involved, and their knowledge of the child’s development will be used to assess the child’s needs.  Parents will also be involved partners in deciding what kinds of strategies will be used and how they will be put into action.

The Young Child Development Project is made possible by a generous grant from the Topeka Community Foundation.