Mental Health for Children, 0 - 6, CMHA
The goal of the Children’s Mental Health, 0-6 Program is to support families of children age birth to five to enhance their nurturing relationship. Nurturing relationships enable both the caregiver and child to feel secure, valued, understood and successful within the context of family and community.
1-844-4KIDS1
1-844-454-3711
What Is Mental Health for Ages 0 - 6?
Infant mental health, also called “early childhood mental health,” refers to the mental health of young children from birth to age five. Very young children need lots of help from their parents and closest caregivers to learn how to express and manage their emotions in healthy ways. For this reason, parents’ relationships with their children play an important role in the mental health of infants and young children.
A new baby is exciting - and stressful! Parents often worry about everything they need to do and wonder if they're doing it right. Parents help to support the mental health of their babies by doing small things, such as talking to their baby, responding to their baby’s smiles or cries and comforting their baby when the baby is upset or scared. All of these actions that parents do, often without thinking, help babies to build trusting relationships with their closest caregivers. We now know that when infants and babies feel secure in their relationships with their closest caregivers, this can help support their overall mental health as well.