Every Child Belongs

Consultants are highly trained professionals with specialized knowledge in child development, the effects of stress and trauma on families, attachment, and the impact of adult mental health on developing children. They do not provide direct treatment. Instead, they build relationships with the adults in children’s lives to strengthen their capacity to support healthy social and emotional development early, before formal intervention is needed.

• Visits to your program to observe classroom practices and interactions
• Collaboration on strategies and identified supports
• Child development and social-emotional learning guidance, including the ASQ screening tool
• Training, coaching, and reflective practice
• Support for talking with families about community referrals
• Provider self-care and resource referral
• Help with program policy and professional development needs
• Regular meetings onsite, virtually, or by phone

Goals: Promote positive mental health, address challenging behavior, build practices that buffer stress and trauma, and grow a program culture that supports providers, children, and families.

IECMHC has been shown to improve children’s social skills and emotional functioning, promote healthy relationships, reduce challenging behaviors, reduce suspensions and expulsions, improve classroom quality, and reduce provider stress, burnout, and turnover. Caregiver interactions become more sensitive and close, while hyperactivity, defiance, and aggression decrease.

Read the 2023 IECMHC research summary

IECMHC supports children indirectly by strengthening the adults who care for them. Rather than a prescribed package, consultants draw on clinical skills and evidence-based principles to work with providers and leadership. The role is distinct from, and complements, child care coaches, quality improvement educators, and Pyramid Model coaches.

Read how IECMHC and the Pyramid Model fit together

In 2021, Oregon passed HB 2166 and SB 236.

• HB 2166 directed DELC to create the early childhood suspension and expulsion prevention program, now called Every Child Belongs.
• SB 236 prohibits suspensions and expulsions in early learning settings, effective July 1, 2026.

ECB is aligned with, but separate from, that prohibition. It focuses on prevention and helping providers keep children in care.

Effective September 1, 2026, licensed facilities serving young children must develop and implement a Suspension and Expulsion Prevention Policy and share it with staff and enrolled families. It may include how the program works with families, documentation expectations, existing supports, and use of ECB when needed.

• DELC licensed facility FAQ
• CCLD sample policy
• CCR sample policy

DELC’s goal is to help programs create inclusive environments. DELC cannot investigate the use of suspension or expulsion, but Child Care Licensing reviews whether a prevention policy is in place, whether you communicated and collaborated with families, and whether ECB was contacted when required.

Submit an ECB Request for Support even if the child hasn’t started yet, if you believe your program will need support from the beginning.

Programs must communicate and attempt to collaborate with families when concerns arise. Document your attempts, even if a family doesn’t respond.

The rules allow a temporary safety-based intervention when behavior creates a serious threat to the child or others. It may include temporary time away to address immediate safety, give the provider access to supports like ECB, and help the child return to care as soon as possible.

Only DELC’s ECB staff and NeighborImpact Child Care Resources staff directly helping your program can see your request. Information is stored securely with role-based access, and it is not shared with other government agencies unless you give written permission.

Email delc.ecb@delc.oregon.gov or review DELC’s Every Child Belongs FAQs.

Read DELC’s Every Child Belongs FAQs