Kerrie Schnake, MA

IMH-E® Infant Menatl Health Mentor-Policy

Kerrie is a change agent for infants, toddlers, families and caregivers with over 20 years of experience working in early childhood systems. She is the founder of the South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association (SCIMHA) for which she now serves as Board President and Chief Executive Officer. Kerrie is engaged in guiding South Carolina’s efforts to strengthen the child- and family-serving workforce by integrating polices and systems that promote the use of IECMH Competency Guidelines and Endorsement®. She was a member of South Carolina’s inaugural cohort to seek Endorsement® and earned Endorsement® in the Infant Mental Health Mentor-Policy category. She also serves as the Director of the SC Program for Infant/Toddler Care at the University of South Carolina where she oversees the state’s Infant/Toddler Specialist Network and Be Well Care Well, a program she designed to support the well-being of child care providers.Kerrie’s passion for systems growth and service development to support children 0-3 and their families has been recognized by ZERO TO THREE, where she is a member of the Fellowship Class of 2018-2020, working with an international network of diverse leaders to transform early childhood systems and policies. Kerrie earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Cal State, East Bay and her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis in Public Policy from San Francisco State University. She teaches a graduate course on Relationship-Based Caregiving for Infants and Toddlers at the University of South Carolina.