Early Childhood Services

The CHIME Program provides education and guidance on how to incorporate mindfulness and reflection into your daily routine, teaching and caregiving. Engaging in mindfulness and reflective practice has many benefits for health and well-being, including reduced stress, improved emotion management, increased focus and attention, and enhanced relationships.

Intended Audience

Teachers and directors.

Parents Interacting With Infants (PIWI) is an evidenced-based set of practices based on a belief system (a “philosophy”) about families, children, and helping relationships. The objectives of PIWI are to increase confidence, competence, and positive relationships for parents and children ages 0-36 months. It does so by keeping the parent-child relationship at the center, and by supporting responsive, respectful parent-child interactions. The primary focus of PIWI is parent-child groups, but it may be used in home visitation and other settings.

Explore the importance of parent-child engagement and social-emotional development in the early years. Parents can offer their children rich, high-quality interactions that shows positive behavioral outcomes, supports emotional repair and develops cognitive functioning. Get ideas on what to look for in parent-child interactions as well as how to better interpret the reciprocity of the relationship.

Intended Audience

All professionals working with children and families.

It can be confusing seeking services for young children, especially in acronym shorthand…CPP, COSP, PCIT. If you have ever wanted to know more about the acronyms, this session is for you. We will provide an overview of Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Circle of Security Parenting and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, using case examples and treatment goals. There will also be time set aside for questions and discussions.

Intended Audience 

Professionals working with and making decisions for young children and caregivers.

The Nebraska Association for Infant Mental Health has joined the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. Come check out how Infant Mental Health Endorsement®(IMH-E®) might enhance the work you are doing. If you work with young children and their families and have a commitment to their social emotional development and wellness, endorsement might be right for you! IMH-E® is an internationally recognized credential used to demonstrate specialization in the infant mental health field.

The Pyramid Model is not a curriculum but rather a framework for Early Childhood educators to implement throughout the day. It is a positive approach to prevent, teach and respond to challenging behaviors and to support social-emotional development. Join us for an overview and explore the opportunities that are happening around the State of Nebraska and the evidence behind what is working. Practitioners, researchers, administrators and anyone who has pondered how to help children be their best selves in the early childhood setting will appreciate the power of the Pyramid Model.

30,0000 Of Nebraskans infants and toddlers live in households where parents struggle to provide consistent, high-quality learning experiences. Evidence shows that families that participate in home visiting programs, which focus on strengthening vulnerable families and children under age 5, are often more self-sufficient and better able to handle the challenges of parenting and to raise healthier, safer children.

The early childhood workforce is engaged in work that is both rewarding and taxing. The emotionally intrusive nature of the work often leads to high rates of vicarious trauma, stress and burnout - all of which affect the quality of services provided. Reflective practice assists in mitigating the effects of the emotionally intrusive nature of the work by helping individuals examine their current and past actions, emotions, experiences, and responses in order to evaluate their work performance and learn to improve in the future.

Explore the importance of parent-child engagement and social-emotional development in the early years. Parents can offer their children rich, high-quality interactions that shows positive behavioral outcomes, supports emotional repair and develops cognitive functioning. Get ideas on what to look for in parent-child interactions as well as how to better interpret the reciprocity of the relationship.

Intended Audience

All professionals working with children and families.

Young children experience many transitions, including from home to an early care and education setting, between age groups or program settings, and from preschool to kindergarten. Supporting these transitions for children, families, educators, and service providers is critically important because even positive change can be challenging. Session participants will discuss the importance of transition planning for all involved, while identifying solutions and resources for working through the planning processes.