Qlarant Foundation Awards $40,000 to Improve Access to Mental Health Care for Children and Families

As part of the 2025 Award Program, Qlarant Foundation provided $40,000 to Child Resource Connect (CRC) to improve access to mental health care for children and families in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties in Maryland. CRC helps create healthy and nurturing environments for children by supporting their families and educating their caregivers.

“We envision vibrant, healthy communities in which individuals and families care, support, and advocate for one another and invest in creating opportunities for children to thrive,” said CRC CEO Jennifer Iverson.

The Qlarant Foundation award will support CRC’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Program. This program improves access to mental health care services to children up to 5 years old and their families by providing coaching, tools, and evaluation resources to childcare centers and family caregivers. Caregivers receive support from Family Engagement Specialists, who assist in identifying additional resources available to families and make referrals to other community programs.

According to CRC, “In early childhood, young people build the social and emotional skills necessary to navigate life, including how to cope when problems arise. Those who build these skills before they turn five can thrive at home, school, with their peers, and in their communities. However, many children living in or near poverty experience adverse experiences like witnessing violence or experiencing unstable housing or access to food that increase the risk of poor social-emotional development and later mental health problems.”

Early intervention is key – both to ensure children of all abilities have the appropriate support to develop foundational skills and to prevent mental health from impacting their opportunities later in life (CDC, 2024).

In Maryland, there is ample evidence that children and their families lack support to intervene early enough in their children’s mental health. For instance, during the 2022-23 school year, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) reported 983 expulsions in elementary schools in Prince George’s County.

“Removing these students from a supportive educational environment at such an early age can lead to a lifetime of institutional mistrust and disengagement from the education system during a crucial period in their development. This can adversely affect various long-term social determinants of health, including educational attainment, future employment opportunities, and interactions with the justice system.”

“We know early childcare providers are best-positioned to identify children whose behavior in the classroom indicates the need for more support to develop effective social-emotional skills,” continued Iverson.” We accept requests for support from all childcare providers in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties and work with the family and the childcare provider to develop Individualized Family Service Plans grounded in research-and evidence-based interventions for early childhood mental health. All action plans are based on at least three observations of the child in the childcare setting.”

All caregivers receive support from Family Engagement Specialists, who assist in identifying additional resources available to families and make referrals to other community programs. These referrals are essential for addressing the root causes of children’s behavioral concerns, including food or housing insecurity or other physical healthcare needs.

“We are so pleased to help CRC continue their important work,” said Qlarant Foundation Executive Director Amanda Neal. “Their efforts continue to have a positive impact on the children and families of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties in Maryland.”