Thursday, June 17, 2004

Using Medicaid to Support Healthy Mental Development in Young Children
A report in Adobe Acrobat format from the National Academy for State Health Policy, available at the Open Minds web site - "Recent research documents how and why social-emotional development may be as important as cognitive (intellectual) development. Children who are viewed by others as "sad, mad, or bad" are far less likely to experience school success and may be unable to use preschool intervention. Recent research also documents the important role Medicaid can play in supporting young children’s healthy mental development. This report examines both why and how Medicaid can support children’s healthy mental development, including a discussion of how states can use Medicaid to better support young children’s social/emotional development even in the current economic climate."