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KAIMH Connections
Resources for Early Childhood Mental Health Advocates
Updates | March 2026
Read below for updated KAIMH Conference 2026 information, including new KAIMH T-shirts for sale, as well as some fantastic free resources, an opportunity to join a community of practice focused on working through an anti-racist lens, upcoming training on reflective supervision/consultation, and more!
Become a member of KAIMH and save $50 off your conference registration. KAIMH Conference Pricing is $325 for both days, including meals, snacks and evening entertainment! KAIMH Members receive a discounted registration of $275. Click here to register.
Interested in applying for a scholarship? If you are a professional working in a licensed child care facility, KCCTO (Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities) has added funding for scholarships to cover registration and travel fees for state conference training. Apply here.
KAIMH has limited conference scholarships funded through the Preschool Development Grant to cover registration fees. To apply click here.
KAIMH is thrilled to host Nicki Patton-Rowe this year as she offers a two-part presentation on Resilience: Building Children’s Capacity to Bend Without Breaking. Day one session, "Rooted in Brain Architecture" explores what resilience is, how it develops, and why it depends on the integration of the emotional and thinking systems of the brain.What makes some children bounce back from adversity while others fall apart? Resilience isn’t a personality trait—it’s a brain-based capacity built over time through experience and relationships. In this powerful and practical keynote, you’ll explore how the developing brain—especially the emotional and thinking systems—lays the foundation for resilience. Discover why self-regulation and executive function matter, how stress shapes behavior, and why co-regulation is essential. Whether you’re in the classroom, clinic, or home, this session will deepen your understanding of resilience from the inside out.
Day two session, "Shaped by Experiences and Built Through Relationships" focuses on practical, evidence-based strategies that strengthen self-regulation, executive function, and co-regulation—the key building blocks of resilience. Resilience doesn’t grow on its own—it’s shaped by what children experience and who they experience it with. In this dynamic session, we move from the “what” to the “how,” exploring the everyday interactions and environments that build a child’s capacity to bounce back and bend without breaking. Discover how self-regulation, executive function, and co-regulation grow through relationships, routines, and responsive teaching. If you care for children, you’re already shaping resilience—this session shows you how to do it with intention.
As a bonus, Nicki will also present a breakout session titled, "Just Breathe: Using Belly Breathing to Calm Big Feelings and Bring Young Brains Back Online." When big feelings take over, little brains go offline. Stressed, anxious, or upset children can’t access the part of the brain they need to learn, problem-solve, or even listen. That’s where belly breathing comes in—a simple, powerful tool that helps young children calm their nervous systems, re-engage the thinking brain, and return to learning. This interactive session explores the science behind the stress response and how intentional breathing rewires the brain for resilience.
Hotel Accomodations
Needing KAIMH Conference hotel accomodations? Rooms are blocked at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Wichita Downtown for 129.00 per night. Book your room here. Last Day to Book : Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Wichita has many options available for different budgets. Click on the button below for a short list.
Get your own customized KAIMH T-shirt or sweatshirt this year! Unisex sizes range from youth to 4x and are available in grey, white, purple, pink. Shirts will be available for pick up at the KAIMH Conference or you can choose to have yours shipped. Check out Hartman's Hustle to order. Need a different color option? You can contact Hartman's Hustle via the text option on the website.
Growing Together: A Community of Practice
Building Our Reflective Practice Through A Racialized Lens
Join us in this reflective community of practice created for early childhood professionals to come together to examine their work through an anti-racist lens using the amazing workbook “Reflective Practice through a Racialized Lens: My Hero’s Journey”. We will facilitate a brave space for deep self-reflection, meaningful dialogue, and collective growth as we serve babies, young children, and their families with better self-awareness and cultural responsiveness.
This community of practice is built on the understanding that transformativechange begins within ourselves and extends into our professional relationships and service delivery. Through structured reflective practices, we explore the nuanced intersections of culture, identity, race, racism, power, and privilege in our daily work. Participants will need to purchase a copy of the book, “Reflective Practice through a Racialized Lens: My Hero’s Journey.”
Meeting Dates: May 14 & 28 and June 11 & 25, 2026 from 11:00 -1:00 pm
Facilitated by Amittia Parker and a panel of diverse facilitators.
Amittia Parker, PhD, LMSW, MPA, IMH-E® is a researcher, trainer, and mama scholar. Her research, training, teaching, and service focus on advancing minority mental health and equity, particularly among pregnant and parenting young children. Dr. Parker is passionate about facilitating transformative and healing spaces that center wellness, critical reflection, meaningful dialogue, and change.
Endorsement Congratulations
April Shuman, I/ECMH-E®
Congratulations to April Shuman for earning the Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement®! April says, "Receiving my Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement means so much to me as a home-based family child care provider. It’s not just about supporting children’s emotional growth—it’s about walking alongside families, nurturing relationships, and helping build a strong, caring community where everyone feels seen, supported, and valued."
Jamie Brown, ECMH-E®
Congratulations to Jamie Brown for earning the Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement®! Jamie says, "Earning my Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement means so much to me. As a parent of a child with mental health needs, educating myself in this area has always been deeply personal and incredibly important. My passion for mental health advocacy grew even stronger during my 13 years as a public school teacher, where I spent most of my time teaching 6- 7 year olds. I quickly recognized the significant need for greater mental health awareness and support within the public school system. In 2023, I made the decision to leave public education and open my own in-home family child care program. Receiving this endorsement demonstrates to the families I serve, the depth of my knowledge, training, and commitment to supporting children’s mental and emotional well-being. This training not only strengthens me as a provider caring for children from diverse backgrounds, but it also supports me in my own journey as a parent. I am incredibly passionate about this work and deeply proud to hold this endorsement."
Reflective Consultation Group Openings
KAIMH is excited to announce an opportunity to submit an application to participate in one year of reflective consultation through virtual group meetings. Learn how to use reflective practice in your work to reduce stress and improve relationships. Want more? We are also accepting applications from individuals interested in participating in a reflective consultation group who also want additional training and support in providing reflective supervision/consultation in their work. To apply for either option, click the button below.
Check out this free Special Education Toolkit from Brookes Publishing for educators or school leaders working with students who have disabilities or other support needs. This 55-page toolkit has guidance on the topics of:
Protecting the Earliest Bonds: Infant Mental Health–Centered Resources for Immigrant Families
Submitted by Tiffany Bartley & Suzy Green, on behalf of the KAIMH Race and Social Justice Committee
From an infant mental health perspective, the wellbeing of babies and young children is inseparable from the wellbeing of their caregivers. When parents experience fear, instability, discrimination, or chronic stress, those experiences are carried in the nervous systems of their children. Immigrant families, especially in times of political tension and social uncertainty, often experience heightened levels of stress that can impact attachment, emotional regulation, and healthy brain development. Supporting immigrant families through an infant mental health lens is not only compassionate—it is preventative, protective, and justice-centered.
Infant mental health is rooted in safety, connection, and consistency. For immigrant families, access to these protective factors is often threatened by systemic barriers such as language access, legal insecurity, racism, and limited healthcare. A racial and social justice approach recognizes that these challenges are not personal failures, but structural inequities that require intentional, culturally responsive solutions.
Legal Support (Reducing Fear and Promoting Stability) Legal protection and accurate information help caregivers feel safer and more emotionally available—directly supporting children’s sense of security.
Infant mental health isn’t just about toddlers—it’s about the ecosystem around them: caregivers who feel supported and safe; systems that reduce fear and promote belonging; and access to health, legal, and community resources that reduce stress and increase opportunity. When support centers racial justice, it affirms that immigrant families deserve safety, dignity, and responsive care that strengthens early brain development and thriving families.
March-April 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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