Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health is a young child’s capacity to:

experience, regulate, and express emotions
form close and secure relationships
explore the environment and learn

DECAL is working with other child serving state agencies and community organizations to build an Early Childhood System of Care that promotes coordinated policy and collaborative service delivery to support the many young children with (or at risk for) social, emotional and behavioral health needs and to promote healthy social and emotional development for all children.

The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Task Force was established in February 2021 to carry out recommendations from the Georgia Legislative House Study Committee on Infant and Toddler Social Emotional Health. The group serves as a cross-agency collaborative focused on early child mental health policy, finance, workforce development and promotion/prevention efforts to support infant and early childhood mental health in Georgia.

For more information please contact:

Laura Lucas, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Director: Laura.lucas@decal.ga.gov

May 3 – 7 is Children’s Mental Health Week at DECAL!!

Find more information Click here.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Resource Information:

For Childcare Providers/Early Childhood Educators:
- Brain Science: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-early-childhood-mental-health-video/
- Vanderbilt Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html
- Free your Feels Educator Resources: https://www.freeyourfeels.org/educator-resources
- CDC – Learn the Signs. Act Early: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/ccp/early-care-and-education.html
- DECAL SEEDS Webinar Series: http://www.decal.ga.gov/InstructionalSupports/SEEDSWebinarSeries.aspx
- Developmental Stages of Social Emotional Development in Children: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534819/
- Cox Campus, Build My Brain Training: https://www.coxcampus.org/app/courses/5b0c76e084d28733000bed12
For Parents/Families:
- Sesame Street in Communities Website: https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/
- Children’s Health Care of Atlanta, Strong for Life Emotional Wellness Resources: https://www.strong4life.com/en/emotional-wellness
- Free your Feels Parent Resources: https://www.freeyourfeels.org/parent-resources
- CDC- Learn the Signs. Act Early: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/index.html
- Sesame Street Recognizing Big Feelings
- Language Skills by Age
- Emotion Board
For Policy Makers/Advocates:
- Zero to Three – Basics of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, A Briefing Paper
- Infant and Toddler Social and Emotional Health Legislative Study Committee Presentations: https://www.house.ga.gov/Committees/en-US/InfantandToddlerSocialandEmotionalHealth.aspx
- Infant and Toddler Social and Emotional Health Legislative Study Committee Final Report and Recommendations
- IECMH in other states: https://www.nccp.org/prism-project/
- Workforce Development: https://www.allianceaimh.org/early-childhood-mental-health-requirementsguidelines
- Center of Excellence in Children’s Behavioral Health, Georgia State University: IECMH Systems and Supports Developing the Workforce
- IECMH Policy Tool Kit: https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/2195-think-babies-infant-and-early-childhood-mental-health-resource-list
- The Georgia System of Care State Plan also has many recommendations around early childhood mental health and can be found here: https://gacoeonline.gsu.edu/files/2021/02/SOC-State-Plan-2020-Final_02.12.21.pdf
- Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS): https://geears.org/research/resources/