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Executive Summary <br /> 17Growing Up Well: Supporting Young Children’s Social-Emotional Development and Mental Health in North Carolina <br />teachers, care providers, health providers, policy makers, legislative, executive, <br />and judicial branches of government, and others will not pursue or employ <br />effective strategies to improve the social-emotional and mental health of young <br />children. <br />Recommendation 3.2: Raise Awareness of the Social- <br />Emotional and Mental Health Needs of Young <br />Children (PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION) <br />The ECAC, in collaboration with DHHS, should develop and implement a <br />communications strategy to raise awareness of the importance of young <br />children’s mental, social, and emotional health. <br />Recommendation 3.3: Educate Families, Caregivers and <br />Providers on Young Children’s Mental Health <br />DPH should continue to support the implementation of the Triple P—Positive <br />Parenting Program, which educates parents, caregivers, and providers on <br />how to promote young children’s social-emotional development, in pilot <br />communities. <br />Recommendation 4.1: Develop a Web-Based <br />Clearinghouse of Programs and Services for Young <br />Children with Mental Health Needs <br />North Carolina private foundations and other funding sources should <br />provide $125,000 to the North Carolina Infant/Young Child Mental Health <br />Association (NCIMHA) and other partners to develop and maintain a web- <br />based clearinghouse of information on programs and services available to <br />children and families with mental health, social, and emotional needs at <br />the state and county level. Information collected should include service <br />availability, eligibility criteria, cost, and evidence involving the effectiveness <br />of the programs and services. <br />Improving Treatment to Meet the Social-Emotional and Mental Health Needs of Young Children and Their Families <br />Providing effective, evidence-based interventions and treatment during the <br />prenatal and early childhood periods of life can significantly improve individuals’ <br />lifelong physical and mental health.6,7,10 Given this knowledge, the Task Force <br />studied the current system in an attempt to identify opportunities for providing <br />more effective, evidence-based intervention and treatment for young children <br />and their parents, especially mothers. While much is being done in North <br />Carolina to improve care for women and young children, more could be done