Importance of Starting off Right in Early Childhood

Background: A critical need exists to strengthen the infrastructure of the infant and early childhood mental health field through multidisciplinary training, leadership development, and public policy.  Policy issues in this field, including child welfare, are important in order to build support for programs dedicated to young children's mental health and development with emphasis on diversity and underserved populations.

 Methods:  The evolution of the Professional Development Network, developed by the Irving Harris Foundation, will be described, including ‘lessons learned’ about increasing awareness, education, training, and service across disciplines in the infant and early childhood field. Methods for achieving those goals will be described as well as ways of advocating for the well-being of infants through non-profit agencies, foundations, government involvement, public understanding, and financial investment.

Findings: Several decades of efforts have led to an infrastructure of multidisciplinary professionals dedicated to developing a well trained work force with skills necessary to accomplish an ambitious agenda for very young children and their families.

Implications: Results suggest that focus on achieving a broad agenda for the infant and early childhood field is possible with single-minded devotion, commitment, and ability to leverage both public and private resources to accomplish these goals. In addition to training and services, a holistic approach to public policy, including public health, is crucial to raise awareness and support the overall effort with increased focus on complex issues of disadvantaged children.