The California Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network will be hosting virtual Community of Support groups at no cost to home-based child care and early education providers across California. This series is aimed at providing a consistent and supportive space for providers from diverse backgrounds and settings to connect and share their experiences in providing care for young children and their families.
Groups are available to Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers and Family Child Care Home (FCCH) providers to strengthen their experiences and support their unique needs when providing daily care and engaging in interactions with young children and their families. All participants have the opportunity to earn a stipend of up to $125 for participating in a Community of Support group.
New groups will be offered in English and Spanish starting in February.
Available Series
- Reflective Practice: Caregiver Well-Being Series: This group will engage in conversations and opportunities for using reflective practice in participants’ daily care and interactions with young children and their families. Participants will explore strengths and stressors, as well as hopes for themselves and the children they care for, through the lens of supporting caregiver well-being.
- Reflective Practice: Supporting Connection and Relationship: This group will engage in conversations and opportunities for using reflective practice while exploring ways to enrich and support connections and relationships in the role of a care provider for young children. During this series, participants will use a reflective approach to explore topics such as Honoring our Past While Staying in the Present, Brain Development, Developmental Milestones, Everyday Routines, and Caring for Ourselves.
- Reflection and Collective Healing: Empowering BIPOC Voices for Generations Through Story Sharing: This group will focus on building community with other caregivers and centering the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) caregivers. While this space is open to anyone, the focus will center on uplifting BIPOC voices. Participants will share their joys and challenges, strengths and vulnerabilities, and ancestral hopes and wishes for future generations. Participants will learn about each other’s rich cultures, family traditions and how past experiences have shaped identity and impact the way we support young children.
Questions & More Information
Visit the IECMHC website for more information. Contact Silvia Velarde at 781-481-1109 or email Silvia Velarde at svelard@wested.org with questions
