A Focus on Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health

November 2024

Separations: Supporting Our Military Kids and Families 

This newsletter focuses on sharing information on infant/early childhood mental health and the importance of relationship-based approaches and supports that help infants and young children feel safe, supported, and valued by the adults around them. The newsletter, and the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) program, is made possible by a partnership between the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and the Pennsylvania Key.

Welcome

Over the next few months, the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation Team will focus on various types of separations children may experience, and how those separations can impact development and behavior.

In honor of National Veteran and Military Family Month, the November issue focuses on separations experienced by military families. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network shares the following on their website:

“November was first declared as Military Family Month in 1996. Since then, November has been a time to acknowledge the tremendous sacrifices our military families make. They contend with separation from their families and make adjustments to new living situations and communities. Military Families embody strength, resilience, and courage. Care of military families and children sustains our fighting force, and strengthens the health, security, and safety of our nation's families and communities”.

The IECMH Consultation Team would like to express appreciation and gratitude to all current and former military members and their families for their service and sacrifice.

Coming in December: Separations: Supporting Adopted Children and Children in Foster and Kinship Care

Did You Know?

5 Risks Facing Young Children in our Military Families. More than two million children in the U.S. have had a parent deployed. When a parent goes to war – and often for years afterward – families are deeply affected. Young children are especially vulnerable, because they’re physically and emotionally dependent on adults, and because their brain development can be disrupted by high levels of stress. When young children experience high levels of stress and trauma, the effects can continue well after their parents’ military service ends, when their families may have less access to needed supports.

Supporting Military Children and Families

Working Effectively with Military Families: 10 Key Concepts All Providers Should Know National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Learn about military lingo, constant change, resiliency, family separation and much more. Each concept includes additional resource links for support.

Sesame Street for Military Families Sesame Street. Watch helpful, interactive videos with supporting handouts to help families navigate challenging transitions in healthcare, deployments, relocations and grief.

Deployment and Coming Home: The Realities for Infants and Toddlers in Military Families ZERO TO THREE: Early Connections that Last a Lifetime. Explore the effects of deployment/ homecoming on children and families including policy recommendations and strategies to help.

Mindsets to Support Military-Connected Children & Families Penn State University. Learn how to build a strong emotional and social development foundation as well as build capacity with additional resources.

Activities and Helpful Tools for the Classroom and Home

19 Must-Have Books for Military Kids During Deployment themilitarywifeandmom.com. Excellent picture books with a brief synopsis of each including book cover for reference. Great for families and educators in the field!

Sesame Street for Military Families Military OneSource. Learn tips to help families and children with transitions, deployments and relocation. There are links to the Sesame Street apps, downloadable PDFS, and games!

Mail a Military Care Package Military OneSource. A great activity for classrooms to do together, especially if a student has a family member in the military.

Family Focus

Sesame Street for Military Families Sesame Street. Variety of resources (videos, activity pages, parent tip sheets, etc.) to be explored by topics along with helpful tools to be download such as apps downloadable PDF’s for adults & children (guides, tip sheets, activity pages)

Veteran Parenting Toolkit: Together Building Strong Families. South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC). Links to five age-based parenting toolkits for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans and their partners with parenting toolkits for each age group.

Babies on the Homefront ZERO TO THREE Babies on the Homefront. provides military and veteran parents ideas for enhancing everyday moments with their baby or toddler. Parents will find lots of material to add to their toolbox of strategies! 

Military Family Resources and Programs

Find a FOCUS Provider UCLA Division of Population Behavioral Health. Learn about FOCUS (Families Over Coming Under Stress) including access to a list of agencies and certified providers.

For Families Military Child Education Coalition® (MCEC®). This link provides a full resource library for military families including training events, program initiatives and more.

Resources Index - Family Resource Hub elizabethdolefoundation.org. This resource library shares multiple tabs for trending topics such as deployment, military families, and much more.

Our Military Kids Our Military Kids. This link shares multiple resources from military families including legions, associations, programs, initiatives, non-profits and more.

Office Hours

IECMH Consultation helps adults strengthen their relationships with young children and build capacity to respond to children’s social-emotional needs. IECMHC can help reduce caregiver stress, as well as increase caregivers’ reflective practice skills.

IECMH Consultants are available by appointment to provide IECMHC Virtual Office Hours consultation via telephone or video conference. IECMHC Virtual Office Hours is a short-term, collaborative, problem-solving conversation to help you find next steps for: Child Social-Emotional Concerns | Child Behavioral or Developmental Concerns Emotional Well-being of Teachers and Caregivers | Partnering with Families.

Appointments are held on the first and third Fridays of the month, or other days/times by request. Get more info.

Accessing IECMHC Services

The Pennsylvania Key has streamlined the process for Keystone STARS programs to request Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC). Child care providers can request services by using the Request for Service Form (PDF). Completed forms can be submitted via email PAIECMH@pakeys.org or faxed to 717-213-3749.

Programs and families can contact the program leadership directly at PAIECMH@pakeys.org with questions or concerns.

Accessing SACCMHC Services

With the generous support of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) the Pennsylvania Key IECMH Consultation team has expanded to include four mental Health consultants to support School Age Child Care (SACC) programs participating in Keystone STARS.  This service is primarily tele-consultation support. Click here to request support.  

Share your feedback! We'd like to hear what you think about infant early childhood mental health.

Are there resources you'd like to see? Questions you have? Tell us! Send your feedback to PAIECMH@pakeys.org.