“Because babies can’t wait” Dr. Kathryn Barnard  

About infant mental health 

During the first five years of life, children develop a fundamental sense of themselves and their worlds. As they learn to experience, express and regulate emotions, form close relationships, and explore and learn from the environment, we say they are thriving according to the principles of infant and early childhood mental health. 

These principles promote diversity-informed practice across research, clinical work, and policy to provide caregivers and babies the best possible start. 

The goals of the Barnard Center are to: 

1. Advance knowledge about infant and early childhood mental health and the centrality of early relationships to the healthy development of children; 
2. Promote collaborative university-community partnerships for infant and early childhood mental health education and training, advocacy, and clinical research; 
3. Offer educational opportunities in infant and early childhood mental health; 
4. Promote the health of young children and their families through effective preventive approaches to children’s emotional, social and behavioral problems; 
5. Conduct longitudinal and clinical research to increase our understanding of the development of children in the context of adversity and effective community and family intervention efforts on their behalf.