Children develop within the context of caregiver--child relationships, each presenting with their own unique strengths, areas of growth, and compatibility of fit. Instead of the traditional viewpoint that child symptoms are generalizable across contexts and would emerge across relationships, the DC:0--5™: Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health…

This article discusses how increasing diversity within a community requires health care professionals to reassess the developmental assessment tools being used, or at the least, what implications one can derive from resultant identification of delays. The author describes a culture clash between her training and developmental expectations as a…

This article describes the impact on young children of sudden and extended separation from a primary attachment figure. It recommends clinical intervention when the child's development and family functioning are negatively affected by the severity of the child's symptoms, and it highlights key treatment modalities derived from Child-Parent…

The recent headlines about parent and child separation at the U.S. border has raised concern about the impact of such experiences on young children. In this article, the author provides the children's perspective of parental separation and loss and their experience of mourning during infancy and early childhood. Three vignettes illustrate how…

Academic researchers in the infant and early childhood mental health field seek to understand the factors in early childhood that promote lifelong learning, health, and well-being. The inclusion of diverse and underrepresented populations, however, remains a challenge in rigorous research design. This article explores the challenges in addressing…

Since 2017, immigration enforcement in the US has increased, and as a consequence, many more young children are vulnerable to being separated from their parents and are living with daily fear and stress of parental deportation. This article documents stories from interviews with early care service providers and immigrant parents in six states…

The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Community Pediatrics Immigrant Health Special Interest Group consists of 300 members and works to advance pediatric practice and advocacy for diverse immigrant children. Members share practice tools and strategies, and they advocate for the health and well-being of all immigrant children in a number of…

ParentChild+ is a national home visiting program dedicated to bridging the opportunity gap for families in marginalized communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the program worked more closely than ever with families and family care providers with young children to ensure they had the necessary tools and resources to support their children to…

This article will address immigration as a psychosocial event and will describe the different stages of the immigration process, when immigration becomes traumatic, and how each immigration stage can place vulnerable Latin American families at high risk for traumatic stress. It will explore pre-migration experiences and the factors bringing young…

Becoming a mother in a foreign land can be challenging and demanding for immigrant women and their families, and also for the professionals who support these families. In addition to the typical demands associated with raising a newborn, mothers who are immigrants confront other issues that professionals must keep in mind: a unique understanding…