World Association for Infant Mental Health - WAIMH

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...

24/02/2026

One week left to register for our hybrid seminar on March 13th: "Trauma and Resilience: Interventions for Young Children and Families"

The seminar offers a great opportunity to hear from and engage with international experts in infant and early childhood mental health.

Join us live at Tampere University or attend online!

🗓️ Check the seminar program and register by March 4th:
https://waimh.org/event/trauma-and-resilience

20/02/2026

Continuing the theme of decolonisation, this paper by Miriam McCaleb (Aotearoa New Zealand) examines the concept of digital colonisation and its impact on infant mental health. It discusses how technologies such as smartphones, baby-tracking apps, and algorithmic parenting tools can interfere with attuned caregiving, relational health, and cultural knowledge systems. In an era of increasing technoference, the author calls on us to act as conscious filters between extractive digital systems and the infants who are especially vulnerable to their effects.

Human (Māori) settlement in my country (Aotearoa | New Zealand; ANZ) around 800 years ago resulted in some burning of forests, inadvertent species extinctions, and introduction of flora and fauna that had not been here before. European colonisation some 650 years later resulted in massive deforesta...

19/02/2026

Calling all partners! The 19th WAIMH World Congress is coming to Toronto this October, and you are invited to partner with us on this prestigious global gathering. brings together over 1,700 delegates - researchers, policymakers, clinicians, and practitioners - committed to the mental health and well-being of infants and their families.

At , partnership means more than sponsorship; it’s a commitment to the global movement for infant and family mental health. Together, we can elevate diverse voices, bridge disciplines, and create lasting impact for children, caregivers, and communities worldwide.

With a variety of different pathways for engagement, offers a wide range of opportunities for brands and organizations of all shapes and sizes. If you’re interested in exploring how your organization can be part of , visit our event website for more information:
🔗 https://shorturl.at/Aib5c

13/02/2026

Does infant mental health need decolonisation? Fiona C. Ross (South Africa) offers an anthropological provocation to the field of infant mental health. This paper challenges the dominance of Western psychological models and calls for greater attention to diverse relational ontologies and epistemological allyship. It questions the centrality of maternal-infant attachment and highlights the need to recognize broader networks, such as ancestral ties in many contexts in southern Africa, that shape infant wellbeing.

As an anthropologist working in the field of infant mental health in South Africa, a field heavily dominated by psychology and psychiatry, I’m interested in how disciplinary apparatuses take hold and how concepts, theories and analytic frameworks produce subjectivities, norms and social effects. F...

12/02/2026

Secure your spot at ! Registration for the 19th WAIMH World Congress is now open. From October 2 to 6, 2026, the city of Toronto welcomes over 1,700 researchers, clinicians, practitioners, advocates, students, and policy-makers, all dedicated to advancing the field of infant and early mental health.

Register today for this transformative five-day gathering and take advantage of our Early Saver rate. Hurry, this deal is only available through March 14: https://shorturl.at/wOP18

05/02/2026

Colleagues in the United States (Dominique Charlot-Swilley et al.) explore revitalizing Infant Mental Health professional development through Indigenous relational frameworks, such as Ubuntu, Lakou, and Etuaptmumk. The authors propose a shift from individual-centered models to community-rooted, multigenerational approaches that honor cultural identity, collective care, and healing justice. The paper highlights exemplars such as community doulas, health workers, and youth arts programs, illustrating how relational principles can transform systems and support thriving across the lifespan.

Key Words: Revitalization, Community Health Workers, Community Doulas, Ubuntu, Lakou, Etuaptmumk Abstract The enduring legacy of colonization continues to shape the field of Infant Mental Health (IMH), and professional development (Pro-D) spaces. Conventional approaches often prioritize individualiz...

03/02/2026

Presenting the next speaker of our March 13th seminar: Warren Kapashesit

Warren Kapashesit is an indigenous Cree man from Moose Cree First Nation. Educated in Social Work, Warren has been in the helping field for 17 years. He is a Program Manager for Child and Youth Milopemahtesewin Services, which provides a wide range of wellness and supportive services to indigenous children, youth, and their families.

He will speak on the topic of: Indigenous led initiatives for infants and toddlers: the importance of community, culture, and collaboration.

Join us live at Tampere University or participate online.

🗓️ Read more and register:
https://waimh.org/event/trauma-and-resilience

30/01/2026

ED Kaija Puura shares insights from her recent work on children in the digital world. Contributing to the report of the Committee for the Future of the Finnish Parliament, she reflects on the phenomenon of technoference and its impact on early relationships. Finnish youth spend up to 1,800 hours a year on social media, equivalent to another full day after school and hobbies. Rapid technological development brings challenges that were unknown 20 years ago. To address these, we need mutual support and fresh ideas in our daily work of supporting young children and their families, as well as advocacy to ensure that governments and policymakers make changes for the better.

Dear colleagues and friends, Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are experiencing perhaps the darkest months of the year. November is marraskuu in Finnish, with the word literally meaning death or dying and comes from us seeing plants die from cold. December days will also get shorter and shorter unt...

29/01/2026

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel is the official host venue for . Welcome to your home away from home, offering delegates the perfect blend of comfort and convenience.

Here's why you should stay at the Sheraton:
✅ Directly attached to the official Congress site, putting you right where the action is
✅ It's also connected to the PATH (the world's largest underground shopping complex)
✅ Steps away from the TTC Subway System
✅ Walking distance to hundreds of award-winning restaurants and shops, including the renowned Eaton Centre

Delegates can access an exclusive Congress Hotel Rate of $409 CAD per night (plus applicable taxes) for single or double occupancy rooms. This special rate is available now through September 3, 2026, but hurry! Some nights are almost fully booked, so act now and secure your room today!

Make the most of your experience by staying at the official Congress headquarters. Book now through our official reservation link: https://shorturl.at/KlEEH

27/01/2026

Join WAIMH or renew your membership for 2026

A new year brings new opportunities to connect, learn, and grow within the global infant mental health community. If you haven’t joined or renewed your membership yet, now’s the perfect time.

Membership gives you access to infant mental health resources, networking opportunities, and discounted registration for the congress in Toronto this October.

https://waimh.org/membership

23/01/2026

CALL FOR PAPERS: Perspectives in Infant Mental Health August 2026 Special Issue: Integrating Fathers into IMH Care: A Paradigm Change on the Horizon

This special issue seeks to reframe and elevate fatherhood by centering father’s voices, experiences, and contributions as integral partners in shaping early relational health and child development. We invite submissions that expand the lens of IECMH to include fathers as essential in nurturing attachment, resilience, and healing.

Submission Deadline: 1 May 2026. Read more:

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...