Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Foundations Certificate Training
Fall 2026 Cohort:
October 27 - December 15
Grab a spot now!Build a Strong Foundation in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
An in-depth course for professionals working with or on behalf of
children birth to age 5 and their families.
Complete the coursework at your own pace and attend four required live Zoom sessions with our specialized trainers to practice skills, ask questions, and reflect on the content with fellow participants.
Six weeks of self-paced online coursework
Four 1.5-hour reflective sessions on Zoom
Infants don't have mental health, do they?
Maybe you've known a young child struggling to adjust to a new caregiver, childcare program, or life change.
A family facing ongoing stress and uncertainty.
A parent trying to understand what their baby or young child needs.
Or a child who doesn't seem to be thriving in the ways everyone hopes.
These experiences remind us of an important truth:
Young children develop within relationships.
The earliest relationships shape a child's social, emotional, and mental well-being, laying the foundation for learning, resilience, and lifelong health. When children experience stress, loss, separation, or other challenges, supportive relationships can make all the difference.
Healthy Relationships Matter.
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) helps us understand children's development and well-being through the lens of their relationships and experiences.
As a professional serving young children and families, perhaps you've found yourself:
Seeking a deeper understanding of the needs of the young children and families you see everyday
Discouraged when traditional solutions don't seem to fit the needs of the families you serve
Feeling isolated in the important work of supporting children and caregivers
Wanting to offer more to children, caregivers, and communities, but unsure about where to begin
The IECMH Foundations Certificate Training will provide you with the in-depth infant mental health knowledge you need to nurture the social, emotional, and mental health needs of young children and their families.
"This training has strengthened my ability to serve families by giving me a deeper understanding of the connection between early relationships, emotional development, and long-term outcomes for children. It has helped me approach families with greater empathy and cultural sensitivity."
-IECMH Foundations Certificate Training Participant
What is Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health?
The IECMH Foundations Certificate Training will help you deepen your understanding of infant and early childhood social-emotional development, early brain development, and the critical role of relationships in shaping lifelong outcomes.
Led by experienced IECMH specialists from South Carolina's leading organization dedicated to infant and early childhood mental health, this training will help you see children and families through a new lens—one that transforms the question from:
"What's wrong with this child?"
to
"What has this child experienced, and what do they need from the adults who care for them?"
When we change the way we understand young children and families, we change the way we support them—and that can change a child's trajectory for life.
IECMH Foundations Certificate Training helps professionals like you:
Develop a deeper understanding of the core concepts around IECMH and the families you work with
Apply IECMH principles in your professional role with children & families
Integrate an individualized and relationship-based approach into your work
With IECMH Foundations Certificate Training,
YOU can help babies THRIVE.
Zoom Session # 1
November 3 | 3:30-5 pm
Join peers and facilitators for an introduction to the course.
Module 1
Introduction to Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH)
Module 2
Attachment and the Brain in Infant and Early Childhood
Zoom Session # 2
November 17 | 3:30-5 pm
Join peers and facilitators for reflection and exploration of Modules 1 and 2.
Module 3
Pregnancy, Birth, & the Postpartum
Module 4
Infant & Early Childhood Development
Zoom Session # 3
December 1 | 3:30-5 pm
Join peers and facilitators for reflection and exploration of Modules 3 and 4.
Module 5
Separation, Trauma, Grief, Loss & Resilience
Module 6
Family-Centered Practices and Parenting
Zoom Session # 4
December 15 | 3:30-5 pm
Join peers and facilitators for reflection and exploration of Modules 5 and 6.
IECHMH Foundations Certificate Training participants
share their takeaways:
"Foundations has expanded both my confidence and my capacity to partner with families in ways that promote healthy development."
"It was all really impactful. Hearing how the information resonated with others was eye opening. "
"This training was multifaceted. The facilitators and content were engaging. It gave the feeling of an in-person training because of the many opportunities for hands-on learning."
IECHMH Foundations Certificate Training includes:
Resources
Video Recordings
Self-reflection
Mindfulness
Endorsement Hours
Completion Certificate
Community
IECMH Foundations Certificate Training
- 6 self-paced modules
- 60-70 minutes of video content and several brief assignments per module
- 4 live virtual meetings for discussion and reflection with IECMH trainers
- Participants have 6 weeks to complete all modules
- CEUs available!
If you have any questions, or need financial assistance, reach out to admin@scimha.org
Click box below to register.
What we do.
SCIMHA is a collaborative, multidisciplinary membership association for all infant-, early childhood- and family-serving professionals in South Carolina. As a hub for healthy social and emotional development resources, we help babies thrive.
