New Groundwork Ohio Report Maps Ohio’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Landscape
The earliest years of a child’s life lay the foundation for lifelong health, learning, relationships, and well-being. Groundwork Ohio’s new report, Ohio’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Landscape: A Provider-Informed Assessment of Services, Workforce, and System Needs, examines how infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) services are being delivered across Ohio—and what is needed to strengthen the system.
Drawing on a statewide survey of 67 agencies, the report examines services, workforce capacity, training, funding, geographic reach, demand, waitlists, and barriers to care. Responding agencies serve 84 of Ohio’s 88 counties, but access and capacity vary across the state, particularly in rural and Appalachian communities.
The findings also point to significant workforce challenges. Only approximately one in four responding agencies reported being fully able to meet current service needs, with providers identifying workforce shortages, fragmented financing, and reimbursement challenges among the barriers to expanding access.
The report identifies five strategies for moving Ohio forward, including sustainable statewide financing, a stronger IECMH workforce, greater cross-system coordination, coordinated statewide leadership and accountability, and strengthened professional leadership through AIMHi-Ohio.
Ohio has built an important foundation. This report offers a roadmap for building on it so that more infants, young children, and families can get the support they need, when and where they need it.
