Nelson Mandela famously once said children are ‘our greatest treasure’ and our future. While our national conversation about adult and teen mental health and wellbeing has made significant advances over the past decade, until recent years, children have largely been left out of the dialogue.

International experience tells us that prevention and early intervention play a critical role in reducing the onset and severity of mental illness and can change the mental health trajectory of a generation. It’s vital that in this increasingly connected yet fragmented world, those who work with families – the educators, nurses, social workers, doctors, psychologists and counsellors – not only understand what impacts an infant and child’s mental health, but have the confidence to identify early warning signs of mental health difficulties.

As more practitioners talk to parents about different challenges for their children, it’s driving their practice and service operators to pivot towards supporting infant and child mental health.

These are early and promising signs that recognising trauma as a factor to consider when working with children and parents is occurring, and that we are changing how we support vulnerable children and their families. Read more…