Mental Health and Wellness Resources

COVID-19 has had a great impact on the mental health and wellness of American families and the child care workforce.  Families have experienced many stressors including economic insecurity, health concerns, working and schooling their children from home, layoffs and job loss and social isolation.  Children have experienced significant changes in their important routines and may be grappling with uncertainty about things they don’t understand.  As our country responds and recovers from this pandemic, parents and child care providers alike must be equipped to support both their own mental health and wellness needs and those of the children that they love and care for. A collection of resources to support the mental health and wellness of children, families and the child care workforce are listed below.  These resources have been categorized by materials designed for families and those designed for child care providers. Some may be beneficial to both audiences.

“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood."  (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.)

COVID-19 Resources for Child Care Providers 

Supporting Children and Families

CDC: Stress and Coping
This web page includes strategies to help adults and children cope with stress during an infectious disease outbreak.

CDC: Talking with Children about Coronavirus Disease 2019
These web resources provide guidance to help adults have conversations with children about COVID-19 and ways they can avoid getting and spreading the disease.

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: Children’s Response to Crises and Tragic Events
This tip sheet can enhance adults' understanding of children’s responses to a crisis.

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: Relationship-Based Competencies to Support Family Engagement for all Early Childhood Professionals: An Overview
A 1-hour webinar, developed by the National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement, addresses family engagement strategies and relationship-based competencies developed by Head Start.

Early Head Start National Resource Center@ Zero To Three: Pathways to Prevention
A comprehensive guide for supporting infant and toddler mental health, that includes definitions, strategies, and challenges.

OPRE Brief: Services for Families of Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Trauma
A research-to-practice brief that focuses on the impacts of trauma on infants and toddlers and how child care providers can support their families.

SAMHSA: Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
This tip sheet addresses common reactions to stress and ways to help children understand and manage during stressful times, such as an outbreak of infectious disease. 

SCBC: Supporting the Social-Emotional Health of Infants, Toddlers and Adults During Natural Disasters and Emergencies
This webinar features resources and practices to support infant/toddlers, families, and teachers during times of national disasters. This can be found under the hot topic tab on this page. 

Early Childhood Workforce Wellness Strategies

CDC: Stress and Coping
This web page includes strategies to help adults and children cope with stress during an infectious disease outbreak.

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: Program Approaches for Staff Wellness
A 1-hour webinar describing the importance of providing opportunities for staff wellness.

Child Care State Capacity Building Center: The Health and Well-Being of Infant/Toddler Professionals
This Power Point presentation highlights the need for workforce well-being and includes strategies to achieve this goal.

SAMHSA: Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
A fact sheet that describes signs of stress in adults.

SAMHSA: Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: Tips For Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak
A tip sheet that addresses how to cope with isolation during social distancing.

SCBC: Caring for Yourself: Foundational to Caring for Others
This webinar focused on policies and strategies for use by technical assistance providers and child care professionals to increase mindfulness and self-care. This can be found under the hot topic tab on this page. 

Trauma-Informed Resources

ACF: Resources Specific to Early Childhood Programs Regarding Trauma-Informed Human Services
A compilation of issue briefs, information memoranda, webinars, and websites regarding trauma-informed care in early childhood programs.

CDC: Infographic: 6 Guiding Principles to a Trauma-Informed Approach
This infographic provides an overview of a trauma-informed approach to care.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA: Coronavirus Rumor Control
A web page containing questions and answers that help distinguish fact from rumor regarding the coronavirus, and encouraging the public to seek accurate information from state and federal resources.
Available in Spanish

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Trauma, PTSD, and Attachment in Infants and Young Children
This web page features resources that explains the effects of trauma on infants and young children and treatments to support them, with an emphasis on attachment.

COVID-19 Resources for Children and Families 

CDC: Helping Children Cope with Emergencies
A web page addressing the signs of distress in children of different ages, and strategies to support these children.
Available in Spanish

CDC: Stress and Coping
A web page featuring strategies to help adults and children cope with stress during an infectious disease outbreak.

CDC: Talking with Children about Coronavirus Disease 2019
Web resources providing guidance to help adults have conversations with children about COVID-19 and ways they can avoid getting and spreading the disease.