Experts who have worked in child development for decades are seeing a worrisome trend: Young children’s social skills are lagging. Classrooms that used to have one disruptive child now have three to five.
“This is just a different world for childcare centers and schools,” says Pam Mortensen, Family Development Services Director. “We’re prepared to continue to dig in and support the people caring for these kids.”
A grant from The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) has allowed Catholic Charities to expand its services from Butler County to Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, and Warren. With the grant, Pam’s team was able to hire two more consultants who will work with 4C for Children to build their capacity to train childcare providers on early childhood mental health and social emotional learning (SEL).
Pam has long wanted to expand her team’s services to help more childcare providers and, ultimately, more children and families. She was honored that DCY reached out to her because of Catholic Charities’ strong reputation and history of excellent outcomes.
She is especially passionate about promoting SEL with young children. Mindfulness and calming activities help children build empathy for others, manage their emotions, and grow into caring, compassionate people.
“I think of it as building friendship skills,” she says. “It’s about stopping and paying attention to the other human being who’s in front of you. If young children don’t develop these skills, they become school-aged children who struggle with friendships.”
Pam hopes this expansion is only the first step into greater growth for Catholic Charities’ early childhood mental health and parenting programs. Last year, the team added two parenting classes in Spanish, and the plan in 2025 calls for three six-week programs.
Supporters like you help make it possible for Catholic Charities to push past boundaries and reach more children and families with lifechanging programs. Thank you!