If you're having trouble viewing this email, you cansee it online.
KAIMH Connections
Resources for Early Childhood Mental Health Advocates
Updates | April 2026
Read below for information on many upcoming professional development events, including the annual KAIMH Conference, FAN (Facilitating Attuned Interactions) cohort training, Reflective Supervision/Consultation learning collaborative, Care & Wellness Conferences and a community of practice series, Building Our Reflective Practice Through A Racialized Lens.
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.
Conference Agenda
We have a great line up of breakout presentations and fun planned for our annual conference! CLICK HERE to view the full agenda.
Keynote Speaker, Nicki Patton-Rowe
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.
KAIMH is excited to announce the launch of one-year reflective supervision/consultation groups starting in June! Reflective Practice is a process in which a person reflects on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that arise when working with expectant parents; infants, young children, and their families; and professionals.
Reflective Supervision/Consultation groups are regular collaborative meetings between early childhood professionals who provide services to families and young children (clinical, intervention, early educator, etc.) and a trained RSC provider. They meet to explore emotional responses, personal biases, values and self-awareness to focus on how these apply within the context of providing services.
Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN)Training, is an evidence-based model designed to enhance the quality of relationships in technical assistance, supervision, coaching, and other consultative roles. It is designed to strengthen relationships by helping professionals tune into the emotions, needs, and readiness of others through active listening and reflective practice.
KAIMH is offering this training for free, beginning May 11-12, 2026. This learning cohort is ideal for early childhood professionals who provide coaching, consultation, technical assistance, supervision, or other workforce support. Coaches who support the early childhood workforce AND their supervisors should ideally attend together. Click here to learn more and apply.
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
Delinda Johnson, ECMH-E®
Congratulations to Delinda Johnson for earning the Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement®! April says, "Receiving my Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement means so much to me as an Early Head Start/Head Start Supervisor. This milestone validates the knowledge, passion, and commitment I’ve built over my 23 years in the early childhood education field. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to use what I’ve learned to truly support children, families, and teachers. This endorsement strengthens my ability to advocate, lead, and create environments where everyone can thrive. 💛 Here’s to continued growth and making a meaningful impact in our communities!."
Shannon Schneider, IMH-E®
Congratulations to Shannon Schneider for earning the Infant Mental Health Endorsement®! Shannon says, "I’m honored to continue my professional journey with the Kansas Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health by receiving the Infant Family Specialist endorsement. This is my second endorsement through KAIMH and reflects my continued commitment to supporting infants, toddlers, and the families I work with every day. I’m grateful for the ongoing education and support from KAIMH and look forward to continuing to grow in this important field. I also want to extend a sincere thank you to my reflective supervision group for their support along the way!."
Black Maternal Health Week 2026: Rooted in Justice and Joy
Submitted by Amittia Parker, on behalf of the KAIMH Race and Social Justice Committee
Black Maternal Health Week 2026 (#BMHW26) will be observed April 11–17 with the theme “Rooted in Justice & Joy.” This national, week long campaign, founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, lifts up the voices, experiences, and leadership of Black Mamas and birthing people and calls us to build awareness, activism, and community around Black maternal health, rights, and justice.
For those of us in infant and early childhood mental health, Black Maternal Health Week is directly connected to our mission. Persistent, race based maternal mental health disparities mean that Black mothers are more likely to experience mental health concerns and less likely to access formal mental health services due to structural racism and other social determinants. These inequities affect not only parents’ well being but also early relational health and infant mental health.
This year’s theme, Rooted in Justice and Joy, reminds us that promoting Black maternal mental health is not only about preventing harm, but also about nurturing healing, dignity, cultural strength, and joy in Black families and communities. My recent article in the Infant Mental Health Journal, “Decolonizing infant mental health: Black maternal mental health decision-making,” shares qualitative findings from interviews with Black mothers about how they navigate mental health support, including self help, informal supports, and community based resources, and offers recommendations for culturally responsive infant mental health practice and policy.
I invite infant mental health providers, home visitors, early childhood professionals, and community partners to join this year’s Black Maternal Health Week by learning more, uplifting Black led efforts, and reflecting on how our work can better honor Black mothers’ wisdom, decision making, and collective care. You can learn more about the 2026 Black Maternal Health Week campaign at blkmaternalhealthweek.com and access my article via Infant Mental Health Journal here.
Care & Wellness Conferences
Join KAIMH and our partners at All In for Kansas Kids at a Care & Wellness conference this spring. We will be in Wichita on Wednesday, May 6, Salina on Thursday, May 7th and Olathe on Saturday, June 26th. These events are free and will offer KDHE-approved in-service hours including our presention, titled, Assess the Stress." Lunch and free resources and lunch are included. For more information and to register, go here.
Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program
KSKidsMAP is a program for primary care physicians and clinicians in Kansas through a telehealth network. It is a partnership between the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. KSKidsMAP supports primary care physicians and clinicians’ (PCPs) and behavioral health clinicians’ treatment of children and adolescents with psychiatric conditions and developmental concerns. The KSKidsMAP Pediatric Mental Health Team provides the following services: • Consultation Line • School-based Mental Health • Physician and Clinician Wellness • TeleECHO Clinics • Training and Consultation for Autism, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and Intellectual Disabilities Our dedicated team of specialists will be available for free, remote consults for questions regarding behavioral concerns, early identification, parental well-being, referrals, care planning, community resources and more! 800-332-6262 KSKidsMAP@kumc.edu Email or call to schedule a consultation.
Check out this free tool from Kansas Connecting Communities designed to support patient education and decision-making for mental health concerns during pregnancy and postpartum. Around 1 in 5 individuals will experience a perinatal mental health condition. These conditions can have an onset anytime during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum.
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.
.png)
.png)
.jpeg)
