Child First

Child First is an intensive in-home therapeutic intervention for families with children age 0 to 6 to help address learning problems and emotional, behavioral and developmental challenges.

The program helps families build strong and nurturing relationships that heal and protect young children from the impact of trauma and stress. Services include a comprehensive assessment of child and family needs; attachment-based parent-child psychotherapy and trauma treatment; observation and consultation in early care and education; development of a child and family plan of care and comprehensive care coordination and case management.

The Child First team is comprised of a Mental Health/Child Development Clinician and a Care Coordinator who serve as partners and advocates for the family right from the beginning. The Clinician provides counseling and guidance to parents and children to strengthen their relationship while the Care Coordinator connects the family with needed services and resources in the community.

Child First serves children and families in the Meriden community. The program accepts referrals directly from families and/or community providers. The length of treatment in the program varies depending on the needs of the family.

Services in this program are free of charge. Services are available in both Spanish and English.