Mental health in early childhood is increasingly recognised as a foundation for lifelong well-being, learning, and social inclusion. Yet in many vulnerable communities across Europe, structural inequalities, discrimination, and limited access to services undermine children’s ability to thrive. The European Commission’s 2023 Communication on a Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health underscores this urgency, calling for preventive, community-based, and inclusive measures, with a particular focus on children and families at risk.
The scale of the challenge is sobering. According to UNICEF, more than 11 million children and young people under 19 in the EU live with a mental health condition, with prevalence rising from about 2% in the under-fives to nearly 19% among adolescents. For Roma children, the risks are even more pronounced. The REYN Early Childhood Research Study, covering 11 countries, shows that Roma children disproportionately experience poverty, inadequate housing, limited access to healthcare, and lower enrolment in early education. In several contexts, Roma children are less than half as likely as their non-Roma peers to attend early childhood education and care, while overcrowded housing, food insecurity, and exposure to discrimination remain common. Such conditions heighten exposure to toxic stress, which in turn impairs emotional regulation, learning, and social development.
At the same time, the REYN study also documents resilience: many Roma families nurture strong responsive caregiving and community bonds, which act as buffers against adversity. Building on these strengths requires initiatives that take an integrated and culturally sensitive approach. The ongoing CHAVORE initiative offers a timely example. At this initial stage, a mapping of young children’s needs and coping strategies in vulnerable communities was conducted by using a participatory approach with practitioners, parents and children. This process highlighted recurring issues: the lack of culturally relevant tools for supporting emotional well-being, gaps in professional training to recognise and respond to children’s mental health needs, and limited cross-sector collaboration.
From the combined insights of research and practice, several best practices are emerging.
- First, prevention and early detection must be prioritised. Ensuring a strong focus on socio-emotional learning into early childhood curricula and supporting responsive parenting can mitigate risks before they escalate.
- Second, cultural responsiveness and community participation are essential. Interventions succeed when they reflect lived realities and build on existing strengths.
- Third, cross-sector collaboration among professionals and practitioners from different sectors (education, health, social services) is indispensable, supported by coherent policies and adequate resources.
- Finally, addressing structural inequalities such as housing insecurity, unemployment, and inadequate healthcare, among others, remains a prerequisite for sustainable progress.
The European Commission has committed €1.23 billion to actions under its mental health strategy, including preventive measures in schools and early childhood settings. This creates a unique opportunity to align grassroots practice with systemic policy, ensuring that the insights from initiatives like CHAVORE and the evidence from REYN are translated into concrete, scalable action.
Prioritising mental health and well-being in early childhood is both a moral imperative and a strategic investment. Children who grow up with self-esteem, resilience, emotional safety, and a sense of belonging are better equipped to succeed in school, contribute to their communities, and break intergenerational cycles of disadvantage.
Europe should ensure that its most vulnerable children are not left behind but supported to flourish from the very start.
