April 27th: ASK an Expert- Infant and Toddler Mental Health: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How Caregivers Can Support Healthy Development

Infant and toddler mental health is about more than behavior — it includes how young children experience emotions, form relationships, and learn to feel safe in the world. The early years (birth to age 3) are a critical period for brain development and emotional growth, making supportive caregiving relationships essential for lifelong learning and well-being.

This webinar will help parents, caregivers, and early childhood professionals better understand what infant and toddler mental health is, why it is so important during early development, and practical ways adults can nurture strong social-emotional foundations at home and in everyday routines. Participants will leave with simple, developmentally appropriate strategies they can use right away to promote emotional security, self-regulation, and healthy relationships.

Participants will:

✅ Explain what infant and toddler mental health is and why social-emotional development during the first three years is critical for lifelong learning and well-being.
✅ Identify key signs of healthy social-emotional development in infants and toddlers, including attachment, emotional expression, and early self-regulation.
✅ Apply practical caregiving strategies that support infant and toddler mental health during everyday routines and interactions.

Join us April 27th from noon to 1 pm.

Guest Speaker:

Billie Jo is proud to call herself a babyologist. She has spent the better part of her adult life studying babies and their loved ones, so that all can support each other in the best way possible- with love and affection, healing their ouchies, and living their best lives. Billie Jo is endorsed as an Infant Mental Health Specialist. She holds a Master's Degree in Infant Toddler Mental Health and Early Childhood Special Education from Portland State University. Currently, Billie Jo works for Northwest AEA as a home visitor. Buck (her lab) is her sidekick and they can be found on Black Hawk Lake in the northwest Iowa. Billie Jo is passionate about healthy attachment and how healthy relationships play a role in providing the best possible state for babies and toddlers.