Rooted in Relationships celebrates ten years of connecting with Nebraska communities to build infant mental health infrastructure, collaborate with providers and parents to provide coaching and training for the pyramid model, and highlight childcare professionals and the important work they do.
In their recent outreach, the NAIMH has emphasized one very important phrase, “You are an Expert.” In an environment where the babysitter myth still persists, Bradley says endorsements instill a sense of professionalism among early childhood professionals. “They’ve worked hard to provide quality care and do the training. We should recognize them for their work,” she says.
Childcare providers are a shining example of indispensable professionals. They care for our children so parents can work. They create stimulating, educational, and memorable learning experiences for children during the most critical times of their lives. And unfortunately, they are often overlooked, under-compensated, and left in the dark. Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and partners like Auburn Sixpence help families thrive. Sixpence, one of our early childhood initiatives, aims to promote this mission, especially for children 0-3.
“I always knew I wanted to work with children. My vision for what that looked like changed and grew throughout my undergraduate program and the beginning of my career. Ultimately, everything led me to exactly where I needed to be, which is currently an Assistant Vice President of Early Childhood Mental Health with the Rooted in Relationships initiative at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, and one of the co-leads for the Nebraska Pyramid Leadership Team.”
Christen Million, one of Nebraska Children’s experts, reflects on her passion for working with children, along with her future plans.
Holly Hatton-Bowers knows the powerful moment of watching families struggle and trying to build positive bonds from analyzing such interactions. In a practicum where she had to employ video reflection, Hatton-Bowers tells of a woman who described herself as a…
Sixpence in Macy, Nebraska, and their community are a perfect example of a group of resilient people who pull together through the storm. The Shinga Zhinga Child Development Center serves the community. The Center is located on the UmonHon reservation and primarily serves teenage parents, community members, and high school staff members. Thanks to Sixpence, the program director Lacey Sateren, said she has witnessed remarkable developments throughout the past year, even during the height of the pandemic. Read some incredible achievements thanks to resilient families, Umonhon Nation Public Schools and Sixpence!
As our Assistant Vice President of Early Childhood Mental Health, we’re excited to host Sami Bradley as our resident expert, who will share her personal experience and professional tips to assist parents in their management of children’s emotions.
The first three years of a child’s life are rife with neural opportunity. Throughout this time, brain synapses grow and multiply to create a foundation that serves a child for life. One of the best preventative measures we can take is dedicating ourselves to the study and practices of infant and toddler mental health. Today, we’re going to walk you through its definition, initiatives, and resources.
To ensure our safety and well-being not only as a community, but also for our next generation, the NAIMH, has leveraged various recent sources to put together a series best practices for early care providers and educators so that we and our children can adjust to some major changes.
Building the brain from the beginning. By the time a child turns 3, his brain is 85% the volume of an adult brain. That means that nearly all of the neural connections that will ever form have already been set. These three…
Growing the Good Life 