Parent-Infant Foundation: Infant mental health briefing for commissioners (23 May 2021)

Summary

Infant mental health describes the social and emotional wellbeing and development of children in the earliest years of life. It reflects whether children have the secure, responsive relationships that they need to thrive. However, services supporting infant mental health are currently limited; only 42% of CCGs in England report that their CAMHS service will accept referrals for children aged 2 and under. This briefing by the Parent-Infant Foundation is aimed at commissioners looking to set up specialist infant mental health support.

Content

The guidance covers the following areas:

• What is infant mental health?
• Why does infant mental health matter?
• What are specialised parent-infant relationships teams?
• What infant mental health provision exists in the UK?
• Who needs infant mental health support?
• What impact has COVID-19 had on infant mental health?