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Executive Summary 16 North Carolina Institute of Medicine social-emotional and mental health needs have a health home that addresses the physical, social, emotional and mental health needs of the child. As part of this examination, DMH/DD/SAS and partners should develop integrated protocols outlining the criteria for determining which agency is responsible for providing screening, assessment, care coordination, and treatment services for young children with social-emotional and mental health needs, the process for authorizing and paying for services, and how to strengthen collaboration and co-management in the care of the child by providers within the different systems. Recommendation 2.2: Strengthen and Expand Evidence- Based Programs The ECAC, in collaboration with state and local agencies and North Carolina philanthropic organizations, should strengthen and expand the availability of evidence-based programs to improve young children’s mental health for more families in North Carolina. Recommendation 2.3: Develop a Data System to Monitor and Evaluate Changes in Young Children’s Health The ECAC, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Division of Public Instruction (DPI), CCNC, and the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) should ensure that data are available and utilized for on-going assessment of the status of young children’s health, including the social-emotional health of young children and their families. Data should be used to identify outstanding needs and treatment gaps, modify funding priorities to meet the largest unmet needs, and monitor the effectiveness of interventions. Promoting Awareness and Understanding of the Importance of Young Children’s Social-Emotional and Mental Health Research from multiple fields confirms that all aspects of young children’s development, including brain development, depend on the nature and reliability of young children’s relationships with their caregivers and the quality of their environment.8 Research has also identified many evidence-based steps that individuals, communities, organizations, and the state can take to ensure young children have the kinds of nurturing, supportive relationships and safe, stable environments that promote social-emotional development. However, the Task Force recognized that this information is not widely known or used in practice. The Task Force feels that a broad understanding of the importance of the early years of life as well as an understanding of effective ways to improve young children’s well-being is needed. Without such understanding, parents,