Aug 1, 2024, Philadelphia Inquirer: Too many terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days for young children have put pre-K providers on the front lines of dealing with growing mental health needs
Children First, a youth advocacy organization for southeast Pennsylvania, gathered early learning providers to discuss their most pressing concerns.
Too many terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days for young children have put pre-K providers on the front lines of dealing with growing mental health needs
“There’s a crisis, and almost every child I see — more the 50% of the classroom — has special needs.” Since COVID-19 began, Bey said, she has noticed that children are demonstrating significantly more delays, especially in speech. Other behaviors she has witnessed are severe aggression toward adults, including hitting, biting, and spitting; self-injurious behavior where a child will throw themselves on the floor or smack themselves; and constant screaming as a way to cope with sensory overload.
Bey said she has been in the field 16 years, including six as an owner, and she hasn’t expelled a child. Instead, she rolls up her sleeve to help. “I actually go into the classroom to help the teacher,” Bey said. But she acknowledges that early childhood teachers are not special education specialists. “We are not speech therapists. We are not occupational therapists.
Alvarado-Rodriguez said the mental health system for young children is out of step with what modern providers need. “ is archaic and like a puzzle that we need to throw the pieces up in the air and start rebuilding,” Alvarado-Rodriguez said.
We failed that child although I provided as much as possibly could. By we, I mean the city, the state everybody.
Damaris Alvarado-Rodriguez
Alvarado-Rodriguez continued her story to make her point in her presentation.
After the father’s death, the child, who is now in kindergarten, was beset by emotional problems that the staff dealt with daily as best they could. But resources and support for the child, the teachers, and family were in short supply and waits were long.
“We failed that child although I provided as much as I possibly could. By we, I mean the city, the state, everybody,” she said. “This is not pointing fingers, this is about working collaboratively with city, state, and federal organization to ensure children, families, and teachers have the resources to meet the needs of every child.”
In the meantime, Alvarado-Rodriguez and her staff are still haunted by the memory. “I pray for the child every day.”
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