What does "early childhood mental health" mean to you?

Psychotherapy for toddlers?

For West Central Initiative and the Minnesota Thrive Initiative, early childhood mental health means helping with our youngest children's social and emotional development.

On March 12, Nine WCI staffers from West Central Initiative headed to Glenwood, Minn., to conduct a day of interviews about early childhood mental health in Pope County. Child care providers, social workers, police officers, parents and more (about 60 interviewees) volunteered time out of their day to give their perceptions of the type of care and opportunities available in Pope County for young children's healthy social and emotional development.

The interviews were a part of the Minnesota Thrive Initiative, a statewide intiative that seeks to learn and provide resources... Pope County is one of six areas throughout Minnesota chosen to be a pilot site for the initiative.

WCI will compile the results and present them at a public forum later this year.