Huddle Up and Massachusetts Head Start Association team up to improve children's mental health services
Huddle Up, a children's development and mental health support provider, has announced a new partnership with the Massachusetts Head Start Association.
The pair want to improve access to comprehensive mental health care for children from low-income families, focusing on cognitive, social, and emotional development.
The Massachusetts Head Start Association has a long history of promoting school readiness by enhancing children's cognitive, social, and emotional development from birth to age five.
"Head Start changed the trajectory of my life by providing me with the support and encouragement I needed at a young age," said Dr. Colleen Kraft, a Huddle Up board member and former Head Start student.
Dr Kraft is a paediatrician, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a professor at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.
"Through the collaboration between Huddle Up and the Massachusetts Head Start Association, we can better support the growth, development, and mental health of children and adolescents and create even greater opportunities for future generations to succeed and thrive," Dr Kraft added.
The partnership will concentrate on several key initiatives:
Mental Health Consultations and Services: Huddle Up will offer mental health consultations, evaluations, and therapy sessions to children in Head Start programs across Massachusetts.
Expanding IEP Support: Huddle Up will support Head Start programs in maintaining partnerships with public school districts for Individualised Education Program (IEP) services, ensuring children with special needs receive appropriate support. This includes services such as school psychology, speech pathology, and occupational therapy.
Sponsored Outreach and Resources: Huddle Up will sponsor outreach efforts to Head Start programs to promote available consultations and services, as well as sponsor educational sessions and resources for Huddle Up programs.
"Many of the children Head Start serves in Massachusetts are on waitlists for mental health services for a long time," said Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director at Massachusetts Head Start Association.
"Huddle Up gives our programs the opportunity for newfound access to mental health consultations and services across Massachusetts."
