Caring for Mental Health in Early Childhood Education Settings
The ZERO TO THREE Journal
Volume 41 No 3
This issue of the ZERO TO THREE Journal represents a unique collaboration between ZERO TO THREE and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to collectively focus our respective journals on the emotional health of infants and toddlers. The catalyst for this issue was threefold: (1) the shared interest in supporting the early childhood education workforce to have the resources and tools necessary for meeting the needs of the youngest children in their care, (2) the understanding that social-emotional development is critical to learning and a fundamental aspect of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH); and (3) the recognition of the power of collaboration to elevate the vital role of early childhood educators in supporting IECMH. Perhaps more than ever, mental health has been on the minds of many over the past year, and this issue includes what we know from research about the emotional health of infants and toddlers and the adults who care for and educate them.
Table of Contents
Pg 5-The Legacy of the First 3 Years
L. Alan Sroufe
Pg 10-Guardians in the Nursery: The Role of Early Childhood Educators in Fostering Infant and Young Children’s Positive Mental Health
Dorinda Silver Williams and Kathleen Mulrooney
Feature Article – Free Access
Pg 17-Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation in the Midst of a Syndemic: How Does the Field Pivot?
Amy Hunter and Neal Horen
Pg 24-Trauma-Informed Practices in Early Childhood Education
Jessica Dym Bartlett
Pg 35-Early Childhood Teachers’ Well-Being: What We Know and Why We Should Care
Kyong-Ah Kwon, Diane M. Horm, and Chris Amirault
Feature Article – Free Access
Pg 45-The Most Powerful Voice Is Yours: Urging Policymakers to Think BabiesTM
Brooke Cisneros, Destiney Prieto, Jennifer Jennings-Shaffer, and Amanda Perez
Pg 51-Safeguarding the Well-Being of Babies in the Midst of Unprecedented Turmoil
Jenifer Chacon and Kathy L. Reschke
Pg 59-PERSPECTIVES: Equity and Power Dynamics: Effective Collaboration in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and Early Childhood Education
Kristin Greene with Sarah LeMoine and Katrina Macasaet
Feature Article – Free Access
Pg 68-The Value of Reflective Supervision/Consultation in Early Childhood Education
Nichole Paradis, Kira Johnson, and Zsalanda Richardson
Also in This Issue
Pg 2-This Issue and Why It Matters
Stefanie Powers, Kathy L. Reschke, and Annie Moses
NAEYC's Young Children
Read both ZERO TO THREE Journal and NAEYC’s Young Childeren to learn new perspectives and find valuable resources to support infants, toddlers, and their families. This issue of Young Children offers a cluster of articles devoted to intentional practices that promote social and emotional development.
Introduction – Social & Emotional Development: For Our Youngest Learners & Beyondoffsite link
Cluster Article 1 – What Babies Ask of Us: Contexts to Support Learning about Self and Othero
Cluster Article 2 – When in Doubt, Reach Out: Teaming Strategies for Inclusive Early Childhood Settings
Cluster Article 3 – Rocking and Rolling. Caring for the Mental Health of Infants and Toddlers
The ZERO TO THREE Journal
Each issue of the ZERO TO THREE Journal focuses on a critical topic within the early childhood development field. Journal articles are carefully composed to present current knowledge, latest research, and practical advice to help early childhood professionals do their best work in support of infants and toddlers.
