9:40 a.m., Nov. 26, 2008----Day care professionals are on the front line when it comes to dealing with very young children with problems, who can be unruly, disruptive and at times violent.

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The solution to the problem has been to expel these children and, according to a Yale University study, Delaware has the fourth highest rate in the nation for expelling young children from day care.

“Expulsion is not a real solution, and can cause problems down the line, but until now Delaware has not had a program addressing the mental health issues of very young children,” said UD alumna Nancy Widdoes, AS '75, M '77, who serves as managed care system administrator in Delaware's Division of Child Mental Health Services.

Widdoes has received a grant of $6 million over six years from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services for a program called Delaware's B.E.S.T. (Bringing Evidence-based System of Care and Treatment) for Young Children.

Mary Dozier, Amy E. du Pont Chair of Child Development, and Ryan Beveridge, assistant professor of psychology, are included in the grant proposal and B.E.S.T. program, the goal of which is to help disruptive children under five by raising the standard of care they receive and increasing access to services and mental health treatment for the children and their families.

Dozier and Beveridge will be general overseers of the program and evaluate its effectiveness. Beveridge also will help train some of the program's therapists, who will be involved directly with the children and can determine what is and what is not effective.

UD's Early Learning Center will take part in the program, and there also will be opportunities for students for research and internships.

“We are excited to be part of this effort,” Dozier said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for translational research in real life situations that can be broadly applied and lead to effective interventions for young children with behavior problems. It is a critical step forward for Delaware.”

Using evidence-based care and treatment, the program encourages a positive approach to behavior problems that has been shown to be effective.

Trained therapists will work with day care providers, parents and foster parents to improve their skills in interacting and using play therapy with young children through coached, structured programs. They will deal with such issues as discipline and behavior management, reduction of stress and improving relationships.

Parents are respected as partners in the program and their input and decision-making is important, Widdoes said.

Another component is to link families with outside support, services and help that they need.

“Our goal,” Widdoes said, “is to develop integrated home and community-based services and supports for children with serious emotional disturbances and their families. By reaching and helping these children at a very young age, we hope to help them to have successful futures.”

Dozier is the principal investigator in UD's Infant Caregiver Project, a five-year research program supported by a $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. She originated some of the methods that will be used with the B.E.S.T. program working with parents.

Dozier received the prestigious Bowlby-Ainsworth Award from the Center for Mental Health Promotion for her research on adoption.

Beveridge received his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Utah and joined the UD faculty this year. His research interest is parent-child interpersonal processes.

Widdoes received an earlier SAMSHA grant for a Child Traumatic Stress Treatment Center to help children who have been identified by police or other agencies as having undergone traumatic experiences.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photo by Ambre Alexander