Regional nonprofit Behavioral Health Network has landed a $938,956 state grant to expand its work supporting the social-emotional development and behavioral health of children in early education and care programs throughout the four counties of western Massachusetts.

The Springfield-based organization will use the funding to grow a program in which mental health providers assess and intervene when children are struggling with social, behavioral and emotional challenges, according to Katherine Mague, senior vice president of BHN.

Specifically, the grant will bolster a 10-year-old initiative in which professionals provide expert consultation to private child care providers and speak with teachers and parents to do a classroom assessment. BHN employees provide this consultation in Hampden and Berkshire counties, and BHN partners with the Collaborative for Educational Services, of Northampton, to serve communities in Hampshire and Franklin counties.

Mague said that in the past, very young children were being expelled from early care and day care programs because of social, emotional and behavioral challenges. Some of these children faced home challenges and stressors. One piece of the solution to this problem, she said, is to support education and training for the early education workforce so people taking care of young children can create an environment where kids can “flourish.” These practices are trauma-informed, enabling them to support better development of all children.

“Behavior is children’s language,” Mague said. “That’s their communication at that age.”

She said that intervention in early childhood is crucial because brain neural networks begin developing before the age of 5. These interventions help young children and caregivers know how to build skills like emotion regulation and healthy sleeping habits, which can help children enter school and life with the skills to process hard emotions like sadness, anger and frustration appropriately.

The grant BHN received is part of the Healey-Driscoll administration’s effort to support early childhood mental health consultation by awarding $5 million to organizations statewide that serve early education programs. According to a statement from the Department of Early Education and Care, these grants support young students’ healthy development and aim to reduce the suspension and expulsion rate in early education and care settings, promoting school success.

“We have a mental health crisis that has only been made worse by the pandemic, particularly for our youngest kids,” Gov. Maura Healey said in the statement. “These grants will provide early education and care programs with the tools and resources needed to help educators identify those who are struggling and support families in accessing care.”

The state grants will also help early education care programs build stronger relationships with families to support children in the classroom and at home, including with individualized behavior support plans and referrals to other community-based services.

“The awardees of the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Grants are doing critical work to strengthen the foundation of well-being for our youngest learners,” Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw said in a statement. “By equipping early education programs with expert guidance and responsive support, these partners are helping educators manage challenging behaviors, support families and create nurturing environments where every child can thrive. We are proud to invest in their leadership and the transformative impact they bring to communities across the commonwealth.”