The Early Childhood Mental Health Support Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to identify and review evidence-based mental health interventions, curricula, and staff training programs that can be used in Head Start and Early Head Start programs serving low-income young children. The bill requires the department to complete an initial review within two years, focusing on interventions that improve children's social-emotional development, address trauma, and support staff wellness, while also ensuring approaches work across different racial, ethnic, and geographic populations. Once effective interventions are identified, the bill authorizes the department to award grants to Head Start agencies to implement these programs and to establish up to five university-based training centers to prepare staff to deliver them. The legislation includes an evaluation component to measure whether the interventions achieve their intended outcomes and generate long-term cost savings, with evaluations updated every five years. The bill authorizes $100 million in federal funding over fiscal years 2027 through 2036 to support implementation, evaluation, and training activities.
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