Our Mission

Caregiver Connections supports child care providers, families and communities to build capacity in nurturing positive relationships, healthy social-emotional development and resiliency for all young children.

Consultation

Training

Resources & Community Engagement

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Support for Childcare Providers in Illinois

Caregiver Connections

This unique free support program helps childcare providers throughout the state of Illinois recognize, understand, and respond to the social and emotional needs of the children, birth through age five, in their care. For over 15 years, Caregiver Connections has provided mental health consultation to childcare programs across Illinois.

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Why be concerned with a child's social-emotional needs?

The clear relationship between a child's healthy social-emotional development, success in childcare, and later success in school.
New findings on young children's behavior and the importance of the child/caregiver relationship.
"Non-typical or difficult-to-manage behaviors" in young children may be the result of emotional problems.

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“Our MHC has allowed us to look at our own implicit biases, our environments, and our own temperaments. Once we’ve achieved this reflection-we’re better able to help understand our own relationships and techniques with children and families.”

“As a director working with the MHC has helped me focus on my role to see the bigger picture. My center’s mission, vision and values and to set appropriate goals, I see this as the mental health practice for our whole center”

“Because of the support I received I am able to self-reflect. I respond better to the needs of the children in care, and manage my mental health needs, which allows me to recognize the mental health needs of the children in care. Knowing that if I’m not okay, they’re not okay.”