Infant and early childhood mental health
Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) has been defined as “the developing capacity of the infant/young child to form close and secure relationships; experience, manage, and express a full range of emotions; and explore the environment and learn—all in the context of family, community, and culture” (ZERO TO THREE, 2023). IECMH is sometimes referred to as socioemotional skills, social-emotional development, early behavioral health, or early relational health (ECLKC, 2021).
Early childhood is a critical period for brain development when children acquire skills in many domains of development: motor, cognitive, emotional and social. The first years of life are also the time when children are most dependent on their adult caregivers. The science of child development says that relationships with caregivers are key to healthy growth. For people who work with young children and their families, knowledge of IECMH helps keep the focus on relationships.
Find it here
- Infant Mental Health and Reflective Practice, a live, virtual course for child welfare professionals working with children in, or at risk of, out-of-home placement
- Mind in the Making, an on-demand course on executive function skills. Mind in the Making is designed for caregivers and anyone who works with children ages birth to eight
- Tip sheets with research-backed information on early childhood as well as practical suggestions
Courses
Infant Mental Health and Reflective Practice
Infant Mental Health and Reflective Practice is a 12-week online course that includes online modules, small group discussions, and reflective consultation for participants. It is designed for child welfare professionals working with children in, or at risk of, out-of-home placement. It is offered in partnership with the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW).
Mind in the Making
Children—and adults—need more than just academic knowledge to succeed and thrive in school and in life. They also need executive function skills. Executive function skills are life skills. They include using self-control, setting goals, and multitasking. But these skills don’t just happen—we learn them with support and practice.
Mind in the Making: Essential Life Skills for Children and Adults will prepare you to support children’s executive function using the lens of seven essential skills.
Tip sheets
Our growing series of free, research-backed tip sheets is for anyone who works with young children and their families or wants to know more about early childhood. Often bringing in experts from partner organizations, we have covered topics from executive function to play. Explore these downloadable resources and share them with your colleagues! Have an idea for a tip sheet you'd like to see? Email us at ceed@umn.edu.
Tip sheet: early childhood classroom observations Tip sheet: early childhood classroom observations
What is the purpose of classroom observations? What defines a high-quality observation? What are research-based observation tools, and how are they used? This tip sheet answers these questions and more.
Tip sheet: introducing infant and early childhood mental health Tip sheet: introducing infant and early childhood mental health
Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) is a growing field that pulls from the science of early brain development as well as from research on attachment, school readiness, and trauma, among other areas of study.
Tip sheet: screening, assessment, and evaluation in early learning Tip sheet: screening, assessment, and evaluation in early learning
Early childhood professionals are often responsible for monitoring how children are growing and learning. Screening, assessment, and evaluation are different activities that can be part of that process.
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