Early childhood is a time of unparalleled developmental promise but also of vulnerability. Nurturing caregiving and enriching environments can pave the way for healthy development of a child’s social and emotional skills, which are the building blocks for their lifelong well-being and learning. All too often, young children who are Black, Latine, and Indigenous receive fewer of these early developmental protections as a result of the impacts of structural racism on their families and communities. Reduced access to optimal opportunities and environments limits the quality of children’s early experiences, as demonstrated by high rates of harsh discipline, poorer health, and other disparities when compared with white children. Policy, practice, and research efforts must prioritize ensuring that all families have access to the supportive environments they need to thrive.
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) is an evidence-based service in which a trained consultant partners with early childhood professionals and programs. These consultants build early childhood staff capacity to foster social-emotional development in infants and young children and enhance equity in early childhood settings. IECMHC is a relationship-based service; consultants adopt a consultative stance when they interact with ECE staff to create a safe and supportive atmosphere for discussing potentially challenging topics. The activities of consultation vary, but often include observations of children and their environment, conversations that promote staff self-reflection, and discussions of child behavior in the context of development and culture. IECMHC is implemented in a range of early childhood settings, but this brief will focus on IECMHC provided in early care and education (ECE) settings.
Over decades of implementation, research has indicated that IECMHC positively affects ECE staff skills, teacher-child relationships, and children’s social-emotional development. More recently, IECMHC has been described as a potential disruptor of racial bias, with evidence that it may strengthen relationships between ECE staff and Black children and help staff provide more positive relationships and confident care for Black, Latine, and Indigenous children—particularly when there is a strong consultant-staff relationship. And, by creating space for reflection, consultation may help staff be more empathetic and less biased in their responses to children’s behavior.
The purpose of this brief is to outline priority actions that the IECMHC field can take to further understand and advance the potential of IECMHC to disrupt the detrimental and unjust effects of bias on young Black, Latine, and Indigenous children. The brief describes four equity priorities for the IECMHC field; within each priority area, authors provide individual recommendations for three key audiences. A glossary can be found at the end of the brief.
Population of Focus: Children and infants
Links to Resources:
- Download the full brief
- Download the infographic, How Racism Can Affect Child Development
- Read the article, Racial And Ethnic Inequities In Children’s Neighborhoods: Evidence From The New Child Opportunity Index 2.0
- Read the brief, The Basics of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: A Briefing Paper
- Read the blog, How to Talk about Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Date: 2023