Mercy Care Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia recently received a grant award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), called "Project LAUNCH". This award provides $770,650 per year for five years ($3,894,971 total) for mental health programming and services for children from birth through age 8.

The project’s goals are:

  1. Promote the wellness of young children from birth to 8 years of age by addressing the social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioral aspects of their development and mental health of their adult caregivers.
  2. Promote the knowledge, skills, and mental health of adult caregivers of young children to empower them to create safe, nurturing environments, promote resilience, prevent social/emotional disorders, and identify and treat behavioral concerns early.
  3. Disseminate effective and innovative early childhood mental health practices and services that are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity-based.

"Project LAUNCH will create a robust system of support for early childhood behavioral health, providing direct care for children and their caregivers as well as training for the teachers, staff, and healthcare providers who serve them,” said Steve Siler, President, Mercy Care Foundation. “Mercy Care is excited to build a model of promoting young children’s well-being that can be sustained long after the grant ends.”

Project LAUNCH will be implemented at two Mercy Care clinics that provide pediatric care and will enable Mercy Care to significantly expand services and outreach to this population.

To learn more about Mercy Care Foundation, click here. To make a donation to Mercy Care Foundation, click here.