At its core, early Relational Health is the moment to moment interactions between parents and caregivers with infants and toddlers—simple activities like holding, feeding diapering, singing, reading, playing, and just being together. Science affirms that positive relational experiences promote healthy physical development and help avoid future health problems.

Infant Mental Health is the developing capacity of a young child to form close and secure adult and peer relationships; to experience, manage, and express a full range of emotions; to explore their environment and learn; all in the context of family, community, and culture.

Celebrating women’s contributions to history, culture and society! The 2025 theme, “Moving Forward Together,” celebrates "Women Educating and Inspiring Generations." This theme celebrates the collective strength, equality, and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership, shaping the minds and futures of all generations.

Now is a time to learn, listen, educate, and reflect on the accomplishments of Black people in the US, and how we can continue to build a future of equity and inclusion.

Welcome to Early Relational Health Connect. The Association’s monthly snapshot of activities, updates, and information about the early relational health of Nevada’s babies and young children. Happy New Year from our families to yours.

Our wish to all our readers is for you to have a peaceful and joyful holiday season. We hope you find time to rest and connect with the people you love the most. This time of year can become overwhelming for many of us. We hope you remember that all our feelings are important to acknowledge—even the prickly or painful ones.

We value and prioritize meaningful connection and relationships, equity work, and strong social-emotional policies and practices. We are looking forward to continuing to support the efforts of providers like you to improve the wellbeing of infants, young children, perinatal people, and their families.

The Association is delighted to wish a Happy Fall to you, our Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Champions. Fall is an important transition season towards the deep rest of winter. Though there may be a flurry of activity, our natural rhythms are making note of shorter days and cooler mornings.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. May we pause to remember the lives lost to suicide and the many individuals, families and communities that have been impacted by suicide. We encourage you to explore the many resources linked in the images below.