DeLauro, CT Experts Hold Roundtable Discussion on Infant Mental Health

In Conjunction with Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week

NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) and Connecticut experts in child health and development held a discussion on infant mental health today at New Haven’s LULAC Head Start center. DeLauro is co-chair of the Congressional Baby Caucus, which recently held a briefing on the State of America’s Babies. That briefing featured testimony from the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics that discussed infant mental health.

“As a nation, we are lagging behind key competitors,” DeLauro said. “We rank 21st in investment in early childhood interventions relative to the wealth of our country. If we are serious about supporting infant mental health, in addition to physical health and education, we need to expand these programs. We need to equip parents and caregivers with the necessary tools to monitor children’s mental health, recognize problems when they occur and seek help when needed. That means expanding solutions developing here in Connecticut to the rest of the country through the new national Alliance for Advancing Mental Health. I will use my position in Congress to do everything possible to aid that process.”

DeLauro is the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding the Health and Human Services Department, which administers the Early Head Start and Early Childhood Home Visiting programs. Both programs give parents the skills they need to support their kids’ cognitive, social and emotional development in the short-term, and reduce inequality and narrow achievement gaps in the long-term.

"Connecticut is making progress on building an infant mental health workforce skilled in promoting and strengthening the quality of infants and young children's first relationships with their caregivers, which results in secure attachments, positive social, emotional and cognitive development and also buffers the negative effects of toxic stress," said to Heidi Maderia, Executive Director for the Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health (CT-AIMH) and one of the participants in today’s discussion. "CT-AIMH has provided conferences and audience-specific trainings in infant mental health, based upon the Competency Guidelines for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health®, to approximately 500 professionals in Connecticut through partnerships with CHDI, Early Head Start, the Office of Early Childhood, the Department of Children and Families, Birth to Three and Elm City LAUNCH."

Judith Meyers, President and CEO of the Children’s Fund of Connecticut and the Child Health and Development Institute, and another participant, said: “Everything we know about healthy child development underscores the importance of a child's early relationship with a nurturing adult. Every person who works with young children and their families, given the proper knowledge and skills in infant mental health, has the opportunity to promote and support this important bond, recognize when there are concerns, and connect families to services and supports when needed. An investment in training this workforce, which cuts across many disciplines, will pay dividends for years to come.”


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