The bill aims to address the mental health challenges faced by young children in Rhode Island, particularly those under the age of six. It mandates the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to develop a budget and seek federal, philanthropic, or other funding to establish an early childhood mental health hub program ("hub"). This hub will focus on promoting and improving access to infant and early childhood mental health services for children under the age of six and their families, and it will be funded as a pilot program for a minimum of three years.

The hub will have several key objectives, including:

1. Training and supporting infant and early childhood mental health professionals in Rhode Island.
2. Maintaining a registry of qualified infant and early childhood mental health professionals.
3. Monitoring the availability of services, new national recommendations, and advancements in interventions and therapies.
4. Making recommendations to Medicaid and behavioral health systems to address gaps in services.

The hub will be designed to integrate with the Rhode Island children's behavioral health system of care managed by the EOHHS. Early priorities for the hub will include offering training and ongoing implementation support for clinicians to become certified in evidence-based, family-based dyadic therapy models, conducting developmentally-appropriate screenings to identify mental health challenges, and advancing equitable access to services while reducing racial and ethnic disparities. Additionally, the hub will serve as a community resource for families and health professionals to connect with effective therapeutic services for young children experiencing mental health challenges. The bill emphasizes the importance of building a well-trained workforce to support the mental health of young children.