The Spotlight series dramatically portrays a fragmented and underfunded mental health system (“The broken covenant,’’ Page A1, Aug. 28). The Baker administration deserves credit for its efforts to address years of neglect. However, lost in the urgency of addressing critical immediate needs is the importance of investing in a system of care to prevent the onset of behavioral health issues in children.

Half of lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14, and three-quarters by age 24. A growing body of research documents that adverse childhood experiences are linked to a significantly increased lifetime risk of mental illness and substance use disorders.

Adverse childhood experiences are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being. These experiences include serious neglect; physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; parental divorce; the death or incarceration of a parent; and witnessing community violence. In health care, these experiences are referred to as social determinants of health.

Early-intervention programs can improve the odds of positive outcomes for young children who have had adverse childhood experiences, and many of these programs exist in the Commonwealth. Home visiting programs offering early and intensive support can produce significant benefits for both children and parents. Mental health consultation services enable young children with behavioral health conditions to remain in preschool and be emotionally ready for kindergarten.

Perhaps no group is more deserving of our attention than the 9,000 children in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. Yet children in foster care experience long waits for services. The lack of access to behavioral health care significantly increases the risk that, as adults, they will suffer from poor health, substance use disorders, and low academic achievement.

Our mental health system needs attention, and any reform effort must target the behavioral health needs of young children who have experienced traumatic events.

Mary McGeown

Executive director

Massachusetts Society for the Prevention

of Cruelty to Children

Boston