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KAIMH Connections
Resources for Early Childhood Mental Health Advocates
Updates | August 2026
Read below for information on upcoming professional development opportunities, Endorsement information, practicing mindfulness with children, tips for protecting your energy and more!
KAIMH Conference Save the Date
We are so excited to return to Salina, Kansas next spring for our annual conference! We invite you to put April 22-23, 2027 on your calendar and join us for a collaborative, interactive focus on supporting families with young children. If you provide mental health consultation, home visitation, early education, coaching, intervention, research or clinical mental health services, this conference is for you!
Protecting Your Energy
Protecting your energy is an important piece of resilience and maintaining mental, emotional, and physical reserves. These are all limited resources and without setting boundaries and filtering out negativity it can lead to burnout, less focus, and reduced resilience. Below is a short list of strategies for when everything feels like too much.
Reducing alerts or conversations when they start to feel overwhelming
Grounding practices
Body check-ins
Quick comfort/coping tools
Shrinking the moment
Taking a guilt-free break - rest does not have to be earned
Connecting with a friend
Mental Health America has information and self-reflection resources available for free on this topic and many others. To learn more about about protecting your energy and to download the reflection worksheet, click here.
Congratulations to Our Newest Endorsee!
Congratulations to Nicole Gilmore, ECMH-E®! Nicole says, "In my role as the Executive Director of The Family Resource Center in Pittsburg, Kansas, I have the privilege of leading programs that support young children, families, and early childhood professionals across our communities. Before this role, I worked in positions such as elementary school assistant principal, school social worker, family preservation therapist, and an adjunct instructor for the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. Each of these experiences has shaped my understanding of child development and reinforced the importance of early relationships, collaboration, and family-centered practice.
The KAIMH Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement is especially meaningful to me because it reflects the values that have guided my career from the beginning. It represents a commitment to understanding children's development through the lens of relationships, recognizing the critical importance of the earliest years, and continually growing as a professional. Specifically, this includes the relationships we build with parents and caregivers. When families and caregivers have the knowledge, confidence, and resources they need to support their child's mental health, children are better able to develop secure relationships, resilience, and the skills they need to succeed.
As I continue my work in early childhood, I hope to help strengthen systems of care, expand access to quality services, and advocate for policies and programs that give every child the opportunity to reach their full potential. The Endorsement is an important part of that journey, and I am grateful to be part of a community of professionals who share a commitment to supporting infants, young children, and the families who care for them."
Practicing Mindfulness With Young Children
Young children live in the “now” so they are naturally immersed in the present moment.Although they possess natural present-moment awareness, children are still learning the skills to regulate big emotions. Mindfulness practice helps them understand their internal states without feeling overwhelmed so they can calm, focus, and be flexible.
Mindfulness for young children is taught by merging the practice into daily play. We help children experience and learn mindfulness through sensory activities, playful breathing games, book reading and body awareness activities.
To read about activities you can do with young children to teach mindful practice, click on the image below.
Endorsement Myth Busters
The application process for an Infant or Early Childhood Endorsement® is sometimes simpler than expected. Below are a few common questions that KAIMH is often asked.
Q: What training do I need to take and how much will it cost?
A: There isn't any designated training that you need to enroll in! In your application enter the professional development coursework you have already taken, and select which competency or competencies were covered in each course. If you discover you are needing more training in a competency area, we can help you find free to low cost options. In every newsletter we share a list of upcoming classes and their suggested competency area. (See below!)
Q: I have taken so many hours of professional development classes, is there a quicker way than entering each one in my application?
A: You don't need to enter all your professional development, just enough to show you have covered each competency. Between 30 - 45 hours is typically enough, so you can pick and choose the classes that have been the most meaningful to you.
Q: My application isn't showing that I am a KAIMH member, but I know my membership is up to date.
A: The EASy system used for your Endorsement application doesn't communicate with our membership platform, so you will just update that information in your EASy application. Easy Squeezy!
If you have any other questions or concerns, be sure to reach out to us at info@kaimh.org. If you are thinking about applying for an Infant or Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement we have a few scholarships left to cover your KAIMH membership and application fees. Click here to apply!
August - September Professional Development
Check out these upcoming professional development opportunities that support your Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® from the Early Childhood Investigations Webinars, Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities, Rainbows United, Kansas Children's Service League, Child Care Aware network and KAIMH.
