State Teams Gather for ZERO TO THREE Policy Projects

State Policy:  Mental Health Financing & Built for Babies

ZERO TO THREE’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Financing Policy Project (IECMH-FPP) came together in September to discuss solutions to a wide range of issues facing states, including building and maintaining a diverse and well-supported IECMH workforce, financing high-quality mental health treatment and implementing DC:0-5 in policy and practice. Representatives from 24 states, including members of the third cohort of the project – Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey and Utah – were able to join the in-person convening hosted by University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development.

State teams participating in Built for Babies: A Family Centered Approach to State Policies convened in St. Louis, MO to launch the project and start to formulate approaches to advancing family-centered policies and systems for children prenatal to three. The teams discussed an agenda ranging from the creation of a comprehensive infant-toddler policy agenda that includes all voices, to adopting a racial equity lens throughout work supporting babies and families, to trauma-informed considerations in engaging family leaders. Participating states include Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana and Tennessee.

Counterpart Consulting joined the convenings, offering their expertise in equity-focused team-building and infusing racial equity in policies that impact infants, toddlers and their families. Look for resources and insights from these projects in the coming weeks.