SCIMHA is a multidisciplinary association of professionals working to promote nurturing relationships for infants, young children and their families through resources, policies and practices to foster healthy social-emotional development and well-being. |
What exactly does infant and early childhood mental health mean?
Infant and early childhood mental health is the developing capacity of the
child from birth to 5 years old to form close
and secure adult and peer 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. Infant and early childhood mental health is also a term used to describe the full continuum of services and supports (i.e., promotion,
prevention, and treatment) necessary to promote healthy development, prevent mental health problems, and treat mental health disorders. ~ZERO TO THREE
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
—Frederick Douglas