Mission
The California Center for Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health assists policymakers, funders and organizations to design and implement high quality practices that promote the healthy social and emotional development of children under the age of five.
Values
- Relationships are the foundation of healthy development.
- Human development is optimized with supportive relationships.
- Children should be reached as early as possible.
- Children develop best in the context of family.
- Resiliency in families and communities is important.
- Evidence supports practice and program implementation.
- Programs and practices should be considered in the context of the family’s community, culture, values, expectations and circumstances.
- The ability to consider and reflect multiple perspectives is important.
- Cross-system collaboration should be promoted as an effective practice in working with very young children and their families and has the added benefit of promoting the judicious use of limited resources and tax dollars.
- Open access and sharing of expertise is critical to the continued growth of the field.
- Qualified professionals are needed to address the mental health promotion, preventive intervention and treatment continuum.
