Held under the theme, "Building Bridges: Connecting Communities to Support Children and Families," the event provided three days of high-impact learning, featuring a keynote speaker and two breakout sessions each day. All sessions were provided in English and American Sign Language.

Key Conference Highlights and Impact

The conference demonstrated a massive impact on attendees' knowledge and practice, as reflected in the post-session surveys.

• High Satisfaction: A massive 97% of participants reported being strongly satisfied (57%) or satisfied (40%) with the overall webinar experience.
• Knowledge Boost: 97% of respondents either Strongly Agreed (53%) or Agreed (44%) that the webinar enhanced their knowledge about infant mental health and social-emotional well-being.
• Skill Growth: Similarly, 97% of participants felt their knowledge and skills had increased as a result of attending.

 

Expanding the National Reach Across Disciplines

The conference truly was a "bridge-builder," connecting professionals from a total of 14 participating states, with the majority located in Virginia, followed by Idaho. Other states included Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, Florida, Alabama, Arizona, DC, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin.

Registrants spanned a diverse range of roles:

• Early Intervention Specialists
• Child Care Providers
• Mental Health Counselors
• Administrators
• System-level Practitioners

Immediate Change in Practice: How Professionals Will Apply Their Learning

Attendees are eager to put their new knowledge into action! When asked how they would incorporate what they learned, their responses fell into four key areas:

• Referrals & Resource Sharing: Participants plan to refer more families to home visiting programs, share resources with their teams, and encourage families to seek and navigate additional resources.
• Relationship & Trust Building: Professionals are focusing on strengthening client relationships by committing to "meet families where they are", pausing more often to let families talk, and emphasizing the unique trust home visitors hold.
• Professional Development & Team Strategy: Future hiring practices may shift to prioritize relational skills over academics for home visiting roles, and attendees will connect their Early Intervention work to the Relational Competency Framework.
• Self-Care & Stress Management: Participants will prioritize their own well-being by practicing techniques like belly breathing and taking 15-minute walks for relief, exploring concepts like the different kinds of rest and tapping, and using validation mantras.

The success of the 2025 conference, powered by the collaboration of partners like the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and the Virginia Department of Education, who reinforce the vital need for continued focus on Infant Early Childhood Mental Health.