World Association for Infant Mental Health - WAIMH

17/04/2026

This paper by Amittia Parker and colleagues describes their team’s efforts to develop and implement an equity‑centered evaluation approach for an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) program primarily serving Black and Latine populations in a northeastern metropolitan community in the United States. Using community‑engaged methods, researcher reflexivity, and decolonizing evaluation practices, the authors highlight consultants’ lived experiences, racialized dynamics within consultation contexts, and opportunities to strengthen equity in implementation and evaluation.

Introduction Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) is a capacity-building, prevention-based, multi-level service where mental health professionals collaborate with child-serving staff and families to promote healthy social-emotional development among young children (Tidus et...

15/04/2026

Our 'Key Notes from the Keynotes' series continues as we highlight our Plenary and State of the Art Lecture speakers for !

Today, we are pleased to introduce Daniel Schechter, whose State of the Art Lecture will explore how early trauma shapes development, and how relationship‑based intervention can help interrupt intergenerational cycles of violence and distress.

Key notes to look forward to:

✔ How early exposure to maltreatment and domestic violence increases long-term relational and mental health risks
✔ Why outcomes depend not only on adversity itself, but on how experiences are processed within attachment relationships
✔ The protective power of secure and organized attachment in buffering negative development outcomes
✔ The role of integrative, relationship-based interventions that combine developmental neuroscience, narrative work, and in-session reconsolidation of traumatic memories
✔ How clinician-assisted video feedback can support parents with complex trauma and dissociation where standard treatments may be insufficient
✔ The importance of early, and even prenatal, intervention as a key stress-regulation systems may be shaped by the second year of life

This lecture will offer a clinically-rich and future‑focused perspective on prevention, early intervention, and healing within the parent–child relationship.

Don’t miss Daniel Schechter’s State of the Art Lecture at !

10/04/2026

This year marks the 5th celebration of the World Infant, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Day (WICAMHD) on April 23rd. Join us for the WICAMHD 2026 Webinar, themed "Developing Emotional Safety and Preventing Su***de in a Post-Pandemic World". There is no cost to attend, but registration is required in advance.

Read more and register: https://perspectives.waimh.org/2026/04/10/world-infant-child-and-adolescent-mental-health-day-wicamhd-23rd-april-2026/

09/04/2026

Key Notes from the Keynotes... Meet Cathy Chamberlain!

We’re thrilled to highlight one of our upcoming sessions featuring Cathy Chamberlain, who will deliver a powerful Plenary Session exploring how pregnancy, birth, and the early years offer an unparalleled opportunity to transform cycles of intergenerational trauma into cycles of nurturing and healing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

As we prepare for the Congress, here are a few key notes we’re looking forward to from this session:
• The importance of culturally-safe, trauma-informed continuity of care
• Lessons from eight years of community-led work to "recreate safe and sacred" care environments
• The urgent need to better understand how child protection and perinatal services intersect in supporting vulnerable families
• The role of truth-telling, transparency, and institutional responsibility in rebuilding trust

We look forward to Cathy's Plenary Session as part of , running October 2-6 in Toronto, Canada. Registration is now open! Secure your spot today: https://shorturl.at/wOP18.

02/04/2026

As the countdown to continues, we're excited to spotlight the voices and ideas that will shape this year's Congress. Our "Key Notes from the Keynotes" series introduces you to the brilliant speakers behind our Plenary Sessions and State of the Art Lectures. Over the coming weeks you will meet eight special guests whose work is advancing infant and early mental health across research, policy, and practice.

Each post in the series will offer:
✅ A preview of the speaker's session at
✅ Key themes they will explore at the Congress
✅ Insights we're looking forward to sharing with the global infant and early mental health community

This is your chance to get to know the ideas, questions, and conversations that will anchor . Stay tuned as we spotlight each speaker and the meaningful contributions they’ll bring to this year’s program.

27/03/2026

Colleagues in the United States (Rebecca P. F. MacDonald et al.) present a longitudinal case study documenting the emergence of prodromal signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the implementation of a novel intervention beginning at 8 weeks of age. Intervention followed a scaffolded model of parent coaching and naturalistic, developmentally-informed behavioral therapy. At 12 months, the participant met ASD diagnostic criteria and began receiving intensive one-to-one therapy. By age 2, the participant no longer met ASD diagnostic criteria, and developmental gains were maintained at age 5. The paper details ASD symptom progression, presents a framework for a scaffolded preemptive intervention, and provides additional support for intensive, developmentally-informed behavioral interventions in achieving optimal outcomes.

Data Availability Statement Deidentified data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Funding Information The authors would like to thank Khalid and Kholoud Al Thani for their support they have provided for the New England Center for...

26/03/2026

Spring has sprung in Canada! As the days grow brighter and the world begins to bloom again, we're reminded of the renewed energy, growth, and possibility that this new season brings.

Just like the earliest months of a child's life, spring is a time of new beginnings, fresh insights, and meaningful connections, perfectly reflecting the spring of . This year's World Congress is an opportunity to come together, learn from one another, and nurture the global community dedicated to infant and early mental health.

Let the energy of the new season inspire you to join us in Toronto this October for an engaging, collaborative, and impactful five-day gathering.

Don't forget: Registration is now open! Secure your spot today: https://shorturl.at/wOP18

20/03/2026

The Program Committee of the Toronto congress met last week in Tampere, Finland to assess the peer‑reviewed abstracts. WAIMH received 1,311 submitted abstracts for the Congress, of which 52% were scientific abstracts and 48% clinical abstracts. WAIMH warmly thanks all submitters for their interest and contributions! Acceptance notifications will be sent out end of March 2026.

The 19th WAIMH World Congress in Toronto, Canada, taking place 2-6 October 2026, is approaching with the theme “Harmony in Diversity: Nurturing the Youngest Minds Around the World.” WAIMH received 1,311 submitted abstracts for the Congress, of which 52% were scientific abstracts and 48% were cli...

19/03/2026

There's still time to submit a paper for the Perspectives in Infant Mental Health August 2026 Special Issue on Fathers!

We invite submissions that expand the lens of infant and early childhood mental health to include fathers as essential in nurturing attachment, resilience, and healing. We seek work that illuminates the unique ways fathers strengthen the parent–child relationship and how fatherhood itself can be a powerful pathway for healing, both for the child and for fathers who carry their own histories of adversity.

Submission Deadline: 1 May 2026.

Read the Submission Guidelines:

The importance of early relationships is central to the field of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH), yet the role of fathers has too often been overlooked or relegated to the margins. This special issue seeks to reframe and elevate fatherhood by centering father’s voices, experiences...

13/03/2026

Last Chance ⏰ Early Saver Rate Ends Soon! Don't miss this opportunity to save on registration for !

Our Early Saver Rate represents an unbelievable value for Congress delegates, but it's only available for the next few days! Regular rates go into effect on March 15. If you've been planning to join us this October in Toronto, now is the perfect time to secure your spot and take advantage of the lowest possible pricing.

❗Please note, if you have submitted an abstract and are waiting for an acceptance notification, a special speaker rate will be made available to you as a way to recognize your contribution to the program.

Register now:
🔗 https://shorturl.at/wOP18

13/03/2026

Thank you to Dr Sheri Madigan and Warren Kapashesit for their very interesting presentations today at Tampere University for the seminar on trauma and resilience! Many thanks as well to Dr Julia Torquati for her insightful remote presentation. Sheri presented on intergenerational transmission of trauma and the Caregiver Online PsychoEducation (COPE) resource, Warren on Indigenous led initiatives for infants and toddlers, and Julia on using nature to promote young children’s mental health and development.

27/02/2026

Book review: Michelle du Plessis (South Africa) reviews chapters from Volume 2 of the WAIMH Handbook of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (2024), focusing on decolonization and cultural context. The selected chapters challenge Western-centric models of caregiving and assessment, advocating for culturally grounded, community-informed approaches. The Handbook calls for a global tapestry of IECMH practice that truly reflects and supports the lived experiences of all children and their families.

This review focuses on a number of issues with regard to culture and decolonization within selected excerpts from the WAIMH Handbook of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health – Cultural Context, Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment, Volume 2 (Osofsky et al., 2024). The global focus of this vo...