Shared Services has realigned its plan to meet the most immediate needs of child care providers: business supports, health consultation, infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC), and trauma-informed care (TIC). This reframing of the shared services delivery allows for the continuance of offering Business of Child Care training and follow up coaching through Child Care Aware (CCA)of WA, as well as a plan to expand access to IECMHC by increasing the number of mental health consultants (MHC) to the IECMHC pool. The increase will support TIC, social-emotional development, and reduce expulsion.

The Washington Statewide Early Learning Needs Assessment revealed the need for a deeper level of services to support providers struggling to care for children with the highest needs and to prevent expulsion of children from care. CCA will address this need by connecting providers with direct training from IECMH consultants. IECMHC, TIC, and Health Care Consultations strengthen provider capacity through practice-based coaching and mentoring. Applied learning allows providers to ask questions and test competencies so they gain the confidence to practice what they learn. (author abstract)