Who We Are

Vision

Every child has the right to the early nurturing relationships that are the foundation for life-long healthy development.

Mission Statement

The Center on Infant Mental Health and Development promotes interdisciplinary research, education and practice and advances policy related to the social and emotional development of all children during the first five years.

Goals

To advance knowledge about infant mental health and the centrality of early relationships to the healthy development of young children.
To promote collaborative university-community partnerships for infant mental health education and training, advocacy, and clinical research;
To offer educational opportunities in infant mental health at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
To promote the mental and emotional health of young children and their families through effective preventive approaches to children's emotional, social and behavioral problems;
To conduct longitudinal and clinical research to increase our understanding of the development of vulnerable children, and effective community and family intervention efforts on their behalf;
To devote special attention through research, education and services to improve the social and emotional health of vulnerable children who already exhibit developmental delays, and those whose families experience risk factors such as domestic violence, extreme poverty, homelessness, absence of social supports, substance abuse or mental illness.