Health
“The first five years have so much to do with how the next 80 will turn out”
- Bill Gates
Physical and mental health in early childhood set the stage for lifelong health. This includes appropriate medical and dental care; access to good nutrition; safe and appropriate housing; an attached, nurturing caregiver; and protection from adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress. Without these basic elements, children are at risk for developing chronic disease, mental illness, substance use, and economic insecurity as adolescents and adults.
Examples of programs and education offered to young parents to promote healthy children are:
Pre-natal counseling with a focus on nutrition, avoidance of substance abuse that will harm the infant and reducing stress.
Developmental issues that could be identified early so that proper services can be recommended. This might be mental health, social-emotional issues and screening for developmental delays.
Identifying child maltreatment that may not be readily apparent unless one knows the family’s circumstances.
Overall needs such as secure income, safe housing, and enough food to sustain the family as a whole.
Photo by J. Zevalkink, courtesy of the Leelanau Children’s Center
Health Starts Early
Providing healthy, nurturing surroundings for our children in their earliest years can help establish the building blocks for lifelong health. From their birth through adolescence, supporting healthy cognitive, social and emotional development in our children, and connections with parents and caregivers, are some of the most important things we can do to raise healthy, well-rounded adults.
Photography by The Compass Points Here, courtesy of the Leelanau Children’s Center