Children’s Friend, an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation, is leading the Behavioral Intervention Program at the Early Learning Center (ELC) in partnership with the Family Services of Central MA, Center for Childcare Careers, and Seven Hills Behavioral Health. This collaborative program addresses delayed social skills, challenging behaviors, and the related stressors from the COVID-19 pandemic in the children who attend the ELC. Children’s Friend would like to thank the City of Worcester for the generous American Recovery Plan Act and State and Local Fiscal Relief Funds of $112,731 for this program, which will allow us to help our youngest and most vulnerable Worcester children.

As a direct result of the pandemic, we have seen a marked rise in challenging behaviors concurrent with delayed social skills across the age spectrum in the children we support, especially in the ARPA target population. Over the last few months, dozens of studies across the country and internationally have been published confirming the correlation between delayed social skills, challenging behaviors, and the related stressors from the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also seen an increase in parents in need of support. Additionally, due to the pandemic and the associated loss of staff, we are working with many new staff with somewhat limited childcare experience. Children’s Friend proposes to create a partnership with the Center for Childcare Careers and Seven Hills Behavioral Health that will result in a cohesive, holistic approach that includes intensive training for staff and onsite coaching; embedded clinical support to address the immediate social/clinical needs of children, and easily accessed parent support and training.

Children's Friend, an affiliate of Seven Hills, has been serving children and families in the greater Worcester community since 1849. Our mission is to improve the lives of children and those who love them by creating, supporting, and strengthening families. Our commitment to care for and serve children and their families has remained constant throughout our long history. The programs are designed to improve family relationships, ensure effective parenting and protection of children, and create within each family an environment where children can grow into healthy, educated, and responsible members of the community.

The Early Learning Center offers a stimulating, hands-on curriculum that incorporates social-emotional, physical, science, math, social studies, the arts, and language and literacy activities. Our curriculum includes goals and objectives in all areas of development. It honors and respects the diverse backgrounds that families bring to the center. Activities each day are a combination of small and large group activities, independent play and exploration, quiet activities, and guided learning activities.

Seven Hills Behavioral Health (SHBH) provides a path to a process of change through which people improve their overall sense of health and wellness. We do this by offering a comprehensive range of behavioral health and education services. Our three Outpatient clinics – including the flagship SHBH in Worcester and satellite clinics in Southbridge and Milford - operate within the SHBH system of care. Seven Hills recognizes how important it is to establish and sustain meaningful collaborations in the community and has many long-standing partnerships helping to provide the most comprehensive wrap-around care. We believe these relationships are crucial to delivering effective services and, as community needs arise, Seven Hills continues to develop new and effective ways to respond.