Last week the Spokane Alliance’s victory to fund mental health support in childcare centers was featured in Mental Health Weekly!  Childcare team Co-chair  Kerra Bower, who is the creator of the pilot program,  was interviewed for the article. She provided an in-depth description of the challenges families and childcare centers have been facing and the goals of the pilot program. 

 

Here are a few of her quotes from the article:

Bower recalled one instance in which, by the time a child’s diagnostic profile was established, the five-year-old had received seven separate diagnoses that included attention-deficit hyperactivity dis-order, autism spectrum disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder.

 

Also, too many children were entering kindergarten unprepared for the requirements of the classroom. Suspensions from school in the first weeks were not uncommon, she said.

 

“The pilot’s participating mental health staff will include a peer educator, a mental health “tech” at a bachelor’s-degree level or higher, and a licensed mental health clinician. They will work together to triage cases to determine which level of expertise is required to work with a particular child in need, Bower said.” 

 

The Spokane Alliance was also recognized in the article. The reporter Gary Enos included the following: 

“The Spokane Alliance, a non-profit coalition of community groups, student groups, congregations, and unions, lobbied strongly for funding for this pilot. Its advocacy efforts have led to securing more than $6.5 million from local governments to bolster the regional child care industry over the past year. Funded efforts have included support for child care centers in hiring staff and for families struggling to meet child care costs.”

 

To read the full article you can subscribe to the Journal here. 

 

You can see other coverage of our big win here and here.