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KAIMH Connections
Resources for Early Childhood Mental Health Advocates
Updates | October 2024
Highlights in this newsletter include a new Zero to Three book, research on preschool expulsion, a survey request from the Alliance for Infant Mental Health, a free training from The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, a free Little Otter sleep toolkit, upcoming professional development opportunities, and more!
Book Spotlight: Honoring Voices Within Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Relationship-Based Stories From the Field.
Zero to Three has a new book available for purchase titled, "Honoring Voices Within Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Relationship-Based Stories From the Field." This 192-page paperbackilluminates the complex yet rich process that professionals engage in when delivering IECMH services for diverse infants, toddlers, young children, and their families. Using personal stories, the book examines relationship-based practice within various contexts, family structures, and cultures. In spaces where relationships are central, professionals dig deep to reflect, wonder, make sense of, deepen, and at times seek to repair ruptures in relationships—all while keeping the child in mind. For more information check out the Zero to Three store.
Pre-K Mental Health Needs Continue
Research shows that suspension or expulsion from pre-K leads to children who are more likely to deal with academic failure, grade retention, have negative attitudes regarding school and ultimately drop out. With 42% of the suspensions and expulsions nationwide being Black boys, it also has become a racial equity issue. Systems for identifying children at risk of expulsion, providing intervention services and training/technical support to early education programs are in place but the post-pandemic trend continues. To read more, click below.
Where: Kauffman Foundation Conference Center - 4801 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, Missouri, US, 64110
The MOAIMH-EC Annual Conference: Nurturing Resilience, is a comprehensive full-day event dedicated to advancing early childhood development. On November 15, 2024, at the Kaufmann Foundation Conference Center, get ready for a full day dedicated to enhancing early childhood development and resilience.
Dive deep into the latest breakthroughs in understanding how play influences brain development, behavior, and emotional growth. Discover cutting-edge strategies and practical tools to seamlessly integrate play into your educational and therapeutic practices. We’ll also tackle the challenges posed by modern technology and its impact on child development, emphasizing the vital role of child-directed play.
This conference is designed for educators, therapists, and anyone passionate about nurturing young minds. Engage with expert-led sessions, connect with fellow professionals, and leave with actionable insights to foster resilience and support the well-being of the children and families you work with. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your practice and make a meaningful difference in early childhood development!
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University is offering a free, open access, self-paced training module called, "Science X Design." It was developed for providers of services to young children and their families with the purpose to provide knowledge and experiences to leverage the science of early childhood development. Science X Design is a self-guided learning experience that includes both individual online learning and team activities. To sign up and/or learn more, go here!
The Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health is conducting a survey to gather feedback from both professionals and families working with or receiving services for children ages 0-6. By participating, you will help shape the future of the Infant and Early Childhood field– benefiting professionals and families alike. All responses are confidential. As a thank you for your participation in the survey, you will be able to enter a raffle to win a $50 gift card!
What is this survey about? The Alliance is updating the Competency Guidelines® framework with a focus on equity and access. Your input will help ensure that these guidelines reflect the perspectives and needs of those working in or receiving services in the field of Infant and Early Childhood.
Who should complete this survey?
Families: If they have received services for their infant or young child (ages 0-6) from any professional (such as those listed below), the Alliance wants their feedback!
Professionals: If you work with or on behalf of infants, young children (ages 0-6), and their families, your input is essential. This includes roles such as:
Educators
Therapists
Medical professionals
Administrators
Researchers
Trainers
Early Interventionists
Home-Visitors
Caseworkers
Family Lawyers/ GALs
Any professionals working directly or indirectly with pregnant people, infants, young children, and their caregivers.
Eligibility:
Must be 18 years or older
Comfortable reading and responding to questions in English
What will you be asked to do?
The survey will take about 10-15 minutes and asks about the skills and knowledge you use (or observe from a provider) in supporting young children and families.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact the Alliance at info@allianceaimh.org.
Celebrate Babies Week is October 21-25 this year. Each year KAIMH and associations for Infant Mental Health across the Alliance network dedicate one week to celebrate infants, toddlers, young children, their families and early childhood professionals in Kansas and across the globe!
We invite you to share with us how your organization will celebrate babies next month. You can gather with colleagues, raise funds and awareness or reflect on early experiences. You can find more ideas at the Celebrate Babies website.
Little Otter Sleep Toolkit
Check out this free sleep toolkit from Little Otter, a collection of guided meditations and sleep helpers for bedtime, rest time or just calm down time.
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October- November Professional Development
Check out these upcoming professional development opportunities that support your Infant Mental Health Endorsement® from the Early Childhood Investigations Webinars, Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities, Kansas LEND, Kansas Children's Service League, and Child Care Aware network.
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