Cornerstones of Care is hiring for a few remaining staff positions to lead the Early Childhood Mental Health Collective, a project that addresses the growing community need for mental health services in early childhood settings.

The project is funded through an $8 million grant from the Anchors of Tomorrow Fund to provide mental and behavioral health services to children and families at five early education centers on both sides of the state line in metropolitan Kansas City. The goal is to build the critical connection between strong mental health and kindergarten readiness, offering supports for both children and their caregivers.

Team members are getting to know staff at five early childhood centers: El Centro, Emmanuel, EarlystART, Educare, and Operation Breakthrough. The team members, including some who are bilingual in English and Spanish, also will spend time in classrooms building relationships.

“The work funded through this grant leans into our focus on prevention and providing trauma-informed care before things become overwhelming,” said Cornerstones of Care President and CEO Merideth Rose. “This is exactly the work Cornerstones of Care wants to do in support of children and families, and to build a safer, healthier community in metropolitan Kansas City.”

Happy teacher with a group of young students playing with toy blocks

As part of the project, early childhood program staff will be trained to identify conditions that optimize or weaken early infant and young child brain development and to recognize conditions that require the assistance of parents and service providers.

Cornerstones of Care will collaborate with the University of Missouri-Kansas City to provide interns and apprentices, technical assistance and support, coaching, evaluation, and endorsements from the UMKC Institute for Human Development.

Cornerstones of Care also will partner with MidAmerica Nazarene University to train a cohort of mental health care providers in play therapy and provide required supervision and certification for Registered Play Therapists. MidAmerica Nazarene University agreed to create the training program for bachelor’s level mental health care providers to grow in their profession.