Early Childhood Community of Practice

Assessment/Evaluation Tools and Resources:

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: An Evaluation Tool Kit
Georgetown University, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University and Portland State University, has created an online resource, Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: An Evaluation Tool Kit that has brief reviews of the literature and current research on early childhood mental health consultation. The tool kit is designed to assist communities and programs implement high-quality program evaluation.

Using Evidence to Improve Outcomes in Learning, Behavior and Health for Vulnerable Children (PDF)
Here's a framework for using evidence to improve outcomes in learning, behavior and health for vulnerable children. Authored by the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation and the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, it draws on neuroscience, behavioral and developmental science, economics, and decades of early childhood research to guide better policies and practice.

Development Screening Tool Kit for Primary Care Providers
A new resource is now available from Boston Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center. The resource comes from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of HRSA. It is a screening program in an online tool kit format that addresses the issues of time, resources, and budget in a primary care office and will help primary care doctors with: Understanding the need for validated and routine developmental screening; Becoming familiar with screening tools that can be used in primary care; Choosing strategies for implementing a new tool in the primary care setting; Overcoming obstacles integrating routine screening into practice; Creating a referral system for management of children identified with possible developmental needs. The Tool Kit is available at http://www.developmentalscreening.org/ .

Characteristics of Effective Mental Health Consultations in Early Childhood Settings (PDF)
In response to an increasing need to support children with emotional and behavioral challenges in childcare settings and the high rates of expulsion among preschool children, mental health consultation in early childhood settings is becoming an increasingly popular intervention strategy. At the same time, there is little agreement or empirical evidence to help early childhood program managers and other professionals make decisions about the most important characteristics and services that mental health consultants should provide.This study presents findings from a nationally representative survey of 74 Head Start programs and 655 Head Start directors, staff members, and mental health consultants to use in addressing this gap. Read more

Screening for Social and Emotional Development for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers in Colorado
This report was published by Project BLOOM and others following a meeting between a group of stakeholders to discuss and make recommendations about screening tools, practices, and resources needed to support social and emotional screening in Colorado. "This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the project and suggests policy strategies to support the implementation of social and emotional screening in three settings: early care and education, Child Find, and primary care."
View the Screening Report
Read the Executive Summary

Compendium of Screening Tools for Early Childhood Social-Emotional Development
The California Institute for Mental Health developed this guide to assist in the selection of screening tools that identify social-emotional delay or disorder in young children. The guide describes a variety of screening and assessment tools and suggests criteria and procedures for selecting appropriate tools. The final section highlights lessons learned from the Infant Preschool Family Mental Health Initiative.

Understanding Young Children’s Mental Health: A Framework for Assessment and Support of Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health
Nebraska’s Early Childhood Mental Health Work Group created this document, identifying resources which address assessment of infant/toddler mental health, including the social, emotional, and behavioral development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Early Childhood Measures Profiles
This document lists and describes a variety of early childhood measures: Approaches to Learning Measures, General Cognitive Measures, Language Measures, Literacy Measures, Math Measures, Ongoing Observational Measures, Social-Emotional Measures, Early Head Start Measures.

Assessing Violence Exposure and Trauma Symptoms in Young Children: A Critical Review of Measures
"The authors review the assessment measures currently available for the evaluation of potentially traumatic events (PTE) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children less than 6 years old. Each measure is described and its strengths and weaknesses discussed in a developmental context, while also considering the specific difficulties inherent to the assessment of young children" (taken from article abstract).

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	Assessment/Evaluation Tools and Resources: Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: An Evaluation Tool Kit Georgetown University, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University and Portland State University, has created an online resource, Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: An Evaluation Tool Kit that has brief reviews of the literature and current research on early childhood mental health consultation. The tool kit is designed to assist communities and programs implement high-quality program evaluation. Using Evidence to Improve Outcomes in Learning, Behavior and Health for Vulnerable Children (PDF) Here's a framework for using evidence to improve outcomes in learning, behavior and health for vulnerable children. Authored by the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation and the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, it draws on neuroscience, behavioral and developmental science, economics, and decades of early childhood research to guide better policies and practice. Development Screening Tool Kit for Primary Care Providers A new resource is now available from Boston Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center. The resource comes from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of HRSA. It is a screening program in an online tool kit format that addresses the issues of time, resources, and budget in a primary care office and will help primary care doctors with: Understanding the need for validated and routine developmental screening; Becoming familiar with screening tools that can be used in primary care; Choosing strategies for implementing a new tool in the primary care setting; Overcoming obstacles integrating routine screening into practice; Creating a referral system for management of children identified with possible developmental needs. The Tool Kit is available at http://www.developmentalscreening.org/ . Characteristics of Effective Mental Health Consultations in Early Childhood Settings (PDF) In response to an increasing need to support children with emotional and behavioral challenges in childcare settings and the high rates of expulsion among preschool children, mental health consultation in early childhood settings is becoming an increasingly popular intervention strategy. At the same time, there is little agreement or empirical evidence to help early childhood program managers and other professionals make decisions about the most important characteristics and services that mental health consultants should provide.This study presents findings from a nationally representative survey of 74 Head Start programs and 655 Head Start directors, staff members, and mental health consultants to use in addressing this gap. Read more Screening for Social and Emotional Development for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers in Colorado This report was published by Project BLOOM and others following a meeting between a group of stakeholders to discuss and make recommendations about screening tools, practices, and resources needed to support social and emotional screening in Colorado. "This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the project and suggests policy strategies to support the implementation of social and emotional screening in three settings: early care and education, Child Find, and primary care." View the Screening Report Read the Executive Summary Compendium of Screening Tools for Early Childhood Social-Emotional Development The California Institute for Mental Health developed this guide to assist in the selection of screening tools that identify social-emotional delay or disorder in young children. The guide describes a variety of screening and assessment tools and suggests criteria and procedures for selecting appropriate tools. The final section highlights lessons learned from the Infant Preschool Family Mental Health Initiative. Understanding Young Children’s Mental Health: A Framework for Assessment and Support of Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health Nebraska’s Early Childhood Mental Health Work Group created this document, identifying resources which address assessment of infant/toddler mental health, including the social, emotional, and behavioral development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Early Childhood Measures Profiles This document lists and describes a variety of early childhood measures: Approaches to Learning Measures, General Cognitive Measures, Language Measures, Literacy Measures, Math Measures, Ongoing Observational Measures, Social-Emotional Measures, Early Head Start Measures. Assessing Violence Exposure and Trauma Symptoms in Young Children: A Critical Review of Measures "The authors review the assessment measures currently available for the evaluation of potentially traumatic events (PTE) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children less than 6 years old. Each measure is described and its strengths and weaknesses discussed in a developmental context, while also considering the specific difficulties inherent to the assessment of young children" (taken from article abstract).	The Early Childhood Community of Practice has been actively dialoging about evaluation of early childhood systems of care. Participants have shared resources, tools, measures and potential tools. This list of resources has been generated by the sites that are involved in this discussion. If others have more resources or tools to share with the group please send them to bgourley@air.org so that they can be posted.

Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health