Unlock the magic of early childhood with Elevate. This podcast is brought to you by Early Childhood Services, a program within Montgomery County, Maryland's Department of Health and Human Services. We are dedicated to empowering parents and educators with the knowledge and tools to nurture the next generation. I'm Inette Bolton.
Jennifer FerreiraAnd I'm Jennifer Ferreira, and we're your hosts of Elevate. Today's conversation is one that doesn't get nearly enough attention, but it impacts every single one of us. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, policymaker, or just someone who cares about children and families, we're talking about infant and early childhood mental health, also known as IECMH. Now, when people hear the words mental health, they often think about adults, diagnosis, or therapy. But mental health doesn't start in adulthood, it starts at birth. And that's what today's episode is all about.
Inette BoldenSo please welcome Dawn Iannaco- Hahn. Dawn is a licensed clinical professional counselor and approved clinical supervisor with over 25 years of experience working in mental health. Dawn holds a certification in infant and early childhood mental health and has been endorsed by the Infant Mental Health Association of Maryland and DC. Throughout her career, she has worked with children ages 2 to 16 and their families, as well as educators and school staff from Head Start through eighth grade. So welcome, Dawn. We're glad to have you. Thank you for having me today.
So let's start here. When someone hears mental health, what generally comes to mind?
Dawn Iannaco-HahnSo for many people, it's something negative. Something wrong or something broken or something that only matters once there's a problem. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think and feel and act. And it also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is just as important as physical health when we're considering whole body health. Infant and early childhood mental health focuses on children from birth to age five. And it centers on their social-emotional well-being, which is how they feel, how they form relationships, and how safe and supported they are in their environments. And here's the key thing IECMH is not just about the child, it's about the relationships surrounding the child.
Jennifer FerreiraThank you for sharing that, Don. So, what exactly is infinite early childhood mental health?
Dawn Iannaco-HahnWell, at its core, IECMH is about supporting healthy emotional development during the most critical years of life. It actually recognizes that babies and young children experience emotions and stress and relationships
long before they can talk. IECMH looks at a few key areas. So how children express emotions, how they build trust and attachment, how caregivers respond to their needs, and how the environments support or challenge their development. It's relationship-based, strengths-focused, and preventative. Unlike traditional mental health models that often intervene after a problem is escalated, IECMH emphasizes early support, guidance, and capacity building for the adults who care for children every day.
Jennifer FerreiraThis is great information for our audience listening. We recently held a session over brain development and discussed the importance of the first five years of life. A child's brain develops more rapidly than at any other time. During those initial years, social and emotional learning are taking place as well. Is that correct? Absolutely.
Dawn Iannaco-HahnWhen children feel safe, supported, and understood, they're better able to regulate their emotions, build those healthy relationships, learn and explore the world around them, and manage stress. But when social emotional needs go unmet, it can show up later as behavioral challenges or difficulty in school, struggles with relationships, and even long-term mental and physical health issues. So I ECMH is about prevention rather than reaction, because it's about addressing concerns early before they become crises.
Jennifer FerreiraWow, that's great to know. And really what stuck out to me is that it's about prevention rather than reaction. And thank you for taking the time to explain that to our audience. So, what does IECMH look like in real life?
Dawn Iannaco-HahnWell,
what it might look like is a consultant like myself supporting an early childhood teacher who's struggling with managing a child's behavior or meeting their needs, or a parent consult that helps caregivers better understand what a child is communicating through behavior, or coaching educators on how to respond with empathy and consistency and intention, and supporting programs and creating emotionally responsive environments. IECMH is not meant to tell adults what they're doing wrong, instead, it builds on, enhances, and adds to what they're already doing right. So let me say that again. It builds on what they are already doing right, it recognizes that caregivers and educators often need support too, because when adults feel supported, the children will benefit.
Inette BoldenI love that it builds on what they're already doing right. Because you said it's not meant to tell adults what they're doing wrong. So let's
clear up a few other common myths. First, IECMH is not about labeling children, it's not about diagnosing toddlers, and it's definitely not about blame, right?
Dawn Iannaco-HahnAbsolutely correct, Inette. IECMH is about understanding behavior as communication. So when a child is acting out or withdrawing or struggling, etc., the question is not what's wrong with the child. The question should be what is this child trying to tell us? And another important piece is cultural responsiveness. IECMH honors family values, lived experiences, and community context. The support we provide should feel respectful, collaborative, and grounded in trust because every behavior is for a reason, and it becomes our job to find out what that reason is.
Inette BoldenOur job. So I'm hearing that ICMH is a shared responsibility.
Dawn Iannaco-HahnYes, absolutely. Successful participation requires an intentional investment of time and openness and consistency and shared responsibility among all parties. So parents, educators, administrators, consultants, and other systems all play a role. ICMH works best when everyone is committed to learning, reflecting, and growing together.
Oh, thank you so much, Don. So, as we wrap up this episode, Don, what do you hope our listeners take away from today's episode?
Dawn Iannaco-HahnThat's a very good question. I think that the most important things would be that supporting mental health begins at birth, that relationships matter, and that supporting young children means supporting the adults who care for them, also. When you're a parent, an educator, or a leader, you have the power to shape the environments where children will feel safe, seen, and supported.
Jennifer FerreiraThank you, Don. We sincerely appreciate your participation today. And for the audience listening, if you would like to learn more about infants and early childhood mental health, start by asking questions, seeking support, and advocating for early investment in children and families. For more information or help, you can call the Childcare Support Services main intake line at 240-777 -GROW. Because when we get it right early, everyone benefits. So thank you for listening, and we will see you next time.
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