Social Emotional Consultation: Early Care and Education Provider

Support for the Adults Who Support Young Children

Caring for and teaching young children is deeply relational work. Some days bring questions that don’t have simple answers.

Social Emotional Consultation (SEC) gives early care and education professionals a free, supportive thought partner to help understand what’s happening and identify practical strategies that fit your children, classroom, team, or program.

You don’t need to have a specific child concern to reach out.

Free support. No judgment. No diagnosis. No licensing impact.

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How Can Consultation Help?

Consultation can focus on an individual child or family, a classroom, a team, or an entire program.

Depending on what’s happening, you and your consultant might work together around:

• Big feelings and challenging behaviors
• Classroom routines and transitions
• Peer and teacher-child relationships
• Family partnerships
• Classroom climate
• Staff wellness and reflective practice
• Social-emotional development
• Children experiencing stress, change, or adversity
• Support planning and connections to additional resources

The goal isn’t to tell you what you’re doing wrong or hand you a generic behavior plan. Consultation helps adults step back, better understand what may be happening, and develop strategies that fit their unique setting.

What Does Consultation Look Like?

There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on your goals, your consultant may:

• Talk through concerns and identify patterns
• Explore what may be underneath a child’s behavior
• Observe a child or classroom when appropriate
• Reflect with teachers, teams, or administrators
• Coach around relationships, routines, and social-emotional development
• Collaborate on practical strategies and next steps

Your consultant works alongside you, building on the strengths and expertise already present in your classroom or program.

One Service. Flexible Ways to Get Support.

Social Emotional Consultation is available across Michigan. Depending on your location, consultation needs, and consultant availability, support may happen in person, virtually, or through a combination of both.

You don’t need to decide which type of consultation you need before reaching out. We’ll help determine the best available option.

Support is also flexible in length. A question may take only a few conversations to work through, while a classroom, child-focused, or programmatic need may benefit from more ongoing consultation.

You and your consultant will decide together what makes sense.

Need a Quick Conversation? Start With Office Hours.

Not every question needs ongoing consultation. Social Emotional Consultation Office Hours are brief, one-on-one opportunities to connect with a consultant for quick support, problem-solving, or another perspective. Office Hours may be a good fit if:

• You have a specific question.
• You’re not sure what to try next.
• A situation has you feeling stuck.
• You’re wondering whether ongoing consultation would be helpful.

No ongoing commitment is required.

View Office Hours & Register

Need more than a brief conversation? You can request ongoing Social Emotional Consultation at any time.