Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health®
Endorsement is an internationally recognized credential for professionals working with or on behalf of pregnant people, infants, young children (0 up to 6), and their families.
The Endorsement credential plays a pivotal role in advancing the crucial field of infant and early childhood mental health. It serves as a benchmark, ensuring that professionals possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and experiences to foster the healthy socio-emotional development and well-being of society's youngest members.
Through the Endorsement credential, professionals are equipped to integrate infant and early childhood mental health principles, such as a relationship-based approach, into their practice. This integration has a profound impact on the early relational health of infants and young children, setting a foundation for lifelong well-being.
The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® (IECMH-E®) framework stands out as one of the foremost and most comprehensive initiatives, both nationally and internationally. It identifies best practice competencies across disciplines and practice settings, offering diverse career pathways for professional development in the fields of infant, early childhood, and family care.
“The Endorsement process was a growth opportunity for me and I am thankful for this too. It forced me to stop and take the time to carefully and intentionally look at myself and at the different aspects of my professional life and to also look at how the personal and professional realms are inextricably connected when you work with young children and their families. It helped me to reflect on my skills and on the areas where I need to grow (and would like to grow) as an IECMH practitioner. It reassured me that I am in a field of work that I love and it renewed my commitment to it. ”