Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Resources

Healthy beginnings lay the foundation for lifelong well-being. This resource page brings together information and evidence-based tools focused on infant and early childhood health, mental wellness, child development, parenting, family support, and more. Whether you support families professionally or are caring for a young child, these resources are here to inform, empower, and connect. 

The information and resources provided are for educational purposes only and are not intended to replace professional medical, mental health, or legal advice. If you have concerns or need personalized guidance, please consult a qualified healthcare provider or other licensed professional. 

Building Strong Parent–Provider Partnerships 

Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Learn the Signs. Act Early  
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Mental Health Resources for Families 

Child Development Stages and Milestones 

Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Developmental Milestones 
• Cleveland Clinic: Child Development 
• Johns Hopkins Medicine: Babies and Toddlers: Developmental Milestones 

Educator Essentials for Early Childhood Mental Health 

Resources 

• National Scientific Council on the Developing Child: Brain Architecture 
• Pyramid Model Consortium: Supporting Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children 
• National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations: Family Engagement Series 
• Kids Thrive Maryland 
• Kids Thrive Maryland: Pyramid Model and Consultation 
• Maryland’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Support Services (IECMHSS) 
• Infant Mental Health Association of Maryland/DC (IMHA-MD/DC) 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Self-Care for Educators 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Taking Care of Yourself 

Foundations of Early Childhood Mental Health 

Community Support

Promotion (enhancing positive wellness):

• Pediatricians   
• Judy Centers   
• Maryland Family Network  

Prevention (reducing risk factors):

• Home Visiting programs  
• Early Head Start  
• Head Start   
• Healthy Steps  
• Child Care Resource Centers  
• Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation 

Resources

• Zero to Three: Advancing Infant Early Childhood Mental Health 
• Child Mind Institute: Healthy Minds Thriving Kids Pre-K 
• National Scientific Council on the Developing Child: Brain Architecture 
• Pyramid Model Consortium: Supporting Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children 
• Maryland’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Support Services (IECMHSS) 

Healthy Attachment in Early Childhood 

Resources 

• Zero to Three: Early Childhood Attachment Styles: What Parents and Professionals Should Know 
• University of Maryland, College of Education: Promoting Attachment and Early Development 

References 

• National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2020). Connecting the brain to the rest of the body: Early childhood development and lifelong health are deeply intertwined (Working Paper No. 15). https://developingchild.harvard.eduhttps://developingchild.harvard.edu 
• Waters, T. E., Ruiz, S. K., & Roisman, G. I. (2017). Origins of secure base script knowledge and the developmental construction of attachment representations. Child Development, 88(1), 198-209. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12571 

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Resource List 

Organizations 

• Zero To Three 
• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network 
• Devereux Center for Resilient Children: Free Resource Library 

Maryland Resources

• Kids Thrive Maryland 
• Maryland Family Network   
• Maryland Essentials for Childhood 
• Infant Mental Health Association of Maryland/DC (IMHA-MD/DC) 

Primary Care Providers

• Maryland Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care 
• Mount Sinai Parenting Center 
• Erikson Institute Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN) 
• Healthy Steps: Maryland Sustainability Resources 

Peer to Peer Supports

• Parents’ Place of Maryland – Maryland’s Special Education and Health Information Center 
• Maryland Coalition of Families 

Parenting Programs

• Chicago Parent Program 
• Zero to Thrive: Mom Power 
• Circle of Security Program 

Promotion

• Maryland Public TV and PBS Kids: Early Childhood Social and Emotional Skills 
• Sesame Street in Communities: Building Social Emotional Skills 
• Zero to Three: Nurturing Healthy Social-Emotional Development 
• Zero to Three: Tips on Helping Your Child Develop Confidence 
• Zero to Three: Creating Routines for Love and Learning 

Books

• The Zone Book Nook: Social Emotional Book List (Ages 4-10) 
• Center on the Social Emotional Foundation for Early Learning: Children’s Book List (Ages Infant to 9) 

Intergenerational Trauma and ACEs in Families 

Resources 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): About Adverse Childhood Experiences 
• American Psychiatric Association: What Are ACES? 

References 

• Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8 
• Garner, A. S., Shonkoff, J. P., Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care, & Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. (2012). Early childhood adversity, toxic stress, and the role of the pediatrician: Translating developmental science into lifelong health. Pediatrics, 129(1), e224-e231. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-2662 
• Hughes, K., Bellis, M. A., Hardcastle, K. A., Sethi, D., Butchart, A., Mikton, C., Jones, L., & Dunne, M. P. (2017). The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 2(8), e356-e366. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30118-4 
• National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2020). Connecting the brain to the rest of the body: Early childhood development and lifelong health are deeply intertwined (Working Paper No. 15). https://developingchild.harvard.edu 

Parental Mental Health in the Perinatal Period 

Resources 

• Postpartum Support International (PSI) 
• PSI Call Helpline (#1 En Español or #2 English): 1-800-944-4773 
• PSI English Text Helpline (Text “HELP”): 1-800-944-4773 
• PSI Spanish Text Helpline: 971-203-7773 
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)

Recognizing Developmental Delays and Behavioral Concerns 

Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Developmental Monitoring and Screening 
• Cleveland Clinic: Developmental Delay in Children 
• Zero to Three: Developmental Milestone Resources 
• NYU Langone Children’s Hospital: Types of Developmental Delays in Children 

Recognizing Signs of Abuse and Neglect in Early Childhood 

Types of Therapies

• Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) 
• Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) 
• Parent Child Interactional Therapy (PCIT) 
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) 

Programs for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers Supporting Children Experiencing Traumatic Stress

• Circle of Security Program 
• Strong Roots Program 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Attachment Vitamins: Interactive Course on Early Childhood Attachment, Stress, and Trauma 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Resource Parent Curriculum 

Resources

• Maryland Essentials for Childhood 
• Sesame Street in Communities: Foster Care Workshop 
• Zero to Three: Safe Babies: Promoting Safety and Well-Being 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Young Children in Foster Care 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Child Neglect and Trauma: A Fact Sheet for Providers 
• Maryland Department of Human Services, Maryland Law: What is Child Abuse and Neglect? 
• Maryland Department of Human Services, Maryland Law: Understanding Mandated Reporting in Maryland 
• Maryland Department of Human Services: Collaboration, Advocacy, Respect, and Empowerment (CARE) for Families Video 
• Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse 
• California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare 

References

• Administration for Children and Families. (2025). Child maltreatment 2023. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. hhs.gov 

Screening Tools and Evaluation in Child Development 

Resources 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Developmental Monitoring and Screening 
• Head Start: Child Screening & Assessment 
• Pearson: Early Childhood Assessment Tools and Resources 
• Maryland Department of Education: Developmental Screening 

Supporting Social-Emotional Development in Early Childhood 

Resources 

• National Association for the Education of Young Children: Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health 
• Zero to Three: Tips for Promoting Social-Emotional Development in Infants and Toddlers 
• UNICEF: Learning Social and Emotional Skills in Pre-School 
• Child Mind Institute: What Is Social and Emotional Learning? 
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Mental Health Resources for Families 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Learn the Signs. Act Early. 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers 
• Harvard University Center on the Developing Child: 8 Things to Remember About Child Development 
• Early Stages DC: Social-Emotional Milestones 

References 

• Black, M. M., Walker, S. P., Fernald, L. C. H., Andersen, C. T., DiGirolamo, A. M., Lu, C., McCoy, D. C., Fink, G., Shawar, Y. R., Shiffman, J., Devercelli, A. E., Wodon, Q. T., Vargas-Barón, E., & Grantham-McGregor, S. (2017). Early childhood development coming of age: Science through the life course. The Lancet, 389(10064), 77-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31389-7 
• Choo, Y., Agarwal, P., How, C., & Yeleswarapu, S. (2019). Developmental delay: Identification and management at primary care level. Singapore Medical Journal, 60(3), 119-123. https://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2019025 
• Hinten, A. E., Scarf, D., & Imuta, K. (2025). Meta-analytic review of the short-term effects of media exposure on children’s attention and executive functions. Developmental Science, 28(6), e70069. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.70069 
• Izett, E., Rooney, R., Prescott, S. L., de Palma, M., & McDevitt, M. (2021). Prevention of mental health difficulties for children aged 0-3 years: A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 500361. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.500361 
• Özcan, M. Ş., & Kisbu, Y. (2026). Exposure to interactive media, but at low levels, is associated with better executive functioning in children: A meta-analysis. Media Psychology, 29(1), 109-141. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2025.2471583 

Understanding Trauma and Stress in Early Childhood 

Types of Therapies

• Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
• Parent Child Interactional Therapy (PCIT)
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Programs for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers Supporting Children Experiencing Traumatic Stress

• Circle of Security Program 
• Strong Roots Program 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Attachment Vitamins: Interactive Course on Early Childhood Attachment, Stress, and Trauma 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Resource Parent Curriculum 

Resources 

• Sesame Street in Communities: Foster Care Workshop 
• Zero the Three: Addressing Trauma: Support and Resources for Young Children 
• The Pyramid Model and Trauma-Informed Care: A Guide for Early Childhood Professionals to Support Young Children’s Resilience 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Early Childhood Trauma 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Pause, Reset, Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): About Adverse Childhood Experiences 

Understanding Trauma and Stress in Families 

Trauma Treatment Resources

• University of Maryland: Family Trauma Research Education Assessment and Treatment (Fam-TREAT) 
• Kennedy Krieger: Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress 
• Family Trauma Research Assessment Education and Treatment (Fam-TREAT) 
• University of Maryland, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: Trauma Disorders Clinic 
• Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital: Trauma and Healing Program 

Resources

• National Child Traumatic Stress: Families and Caregivers 
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Pause, Reset, Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): About Adverse Childhood Experiences 

References

• Collins, K., Connors, K., Davis, S., Donohue, A., Gardner, S., Goldblatt, E., Hayward, A., Kiser, L., Strieder, F., & Thompson, E. (2010). Understanding the impact of trauma and urban poverty on family systems: Risks, resilience, and interventions. Family Informed Trauma Treatment Center.