A family-centered mixed-methods needs assessment for the system of care for young children with social-emotional and behavioral concerns

Early childhood (age zero to five) is a time when mental and behavioral health issues begin to emerge. Systems of care are often not structured to support the development of these young children, particularly those from low-income families or children of color. More research is needed to determine these families’ risk and protective factors, as well as provider and system gaps and opportunities, in order to design a more responsive system of care. An in-depth needs assessment of one system of care was conducted with multiple stakeholders. Data were collected through original qualitative research methods (i.e. interviews and focus groups), secondary data sources, and a document review of notes from community meetings and published programmatic reports. A thematic analysis was then conducted, and findings were validated with a Needs Assessment Working Group. Results included unmet needs of families being served in this system of care, as well as gaps in services. A number of family, provider, and system level strengths were also identified, as well as opportunities to improve the early childhood SOC. While the generalizability of results may be limited, given the wide variability of SOCs across the US, this case study, through community-grounded methods and extensive community engagement, underlines the need to support the parents and caregivers of young children at-risk of experiencing social, emotional or behavioral issues in this study site. These findings indicate a need for multi-level approaches to redesign some systems of care in order to support children as they are nested within families, communities, and organizations, and the policy realm.