DAY-CARE AND EARLY-CHILDHOOD SETTINGS - FOSTERING MENTAL-HEALTH IN YOUNG-CHILDREN

The authors, with research supporting the relationship between experie nce and the developing brain, envision a new and innovative model of c hild care in which principles of child development and mental health F lay an integral role. The School of the Twenty-first Century, although housed in existing school buildings, will be far more than a traditio nal 8:00 AM-to-3:00 PM educational facility. It will become a hub of c hild and family life in the community and provide institutional and ou treach services for children from birth to 12 years of age. Active dev elopmental and mental health programs that provide education for paren ts, primary caretakers, and other providers are central to the model. These programs will include preventive, evaluative, and treatment sen ices for children. The child psychiatrist is viewed as an important me mber of the mental health team, who helps identify, assess, and treat children with developmental and psychiatric difficulties.