In this month’s practitioner newsletter, you’ll read about:  

• supporting parents to consider infant mental health

• our upcoming webinars on infant mental health, collaborative goal setting and supporting LGBTQ+ young people with disability

• understanding the communication needs of children with complex trauma

• food insecurity and how it affects child mental health

• the latest highlights in child mental health research.

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week

This year’s Infant Mental Health Awareness Week (8–14 June 2026) focuses on the theme of ‘attunement’ – the ability to tune in and connect emotionally with others. Practitioners play an important role in supporting parents to notice their infant or toddler’s mental health and cues for connection. But not all practitioners feel comfortable doing this work. 
 
Keeping the infant and toddler in mind is a free online course created by Emerging Minds to support practitioners working with families who have young children. It introduces a relationship-based framework that promotes the mental health of children from birth to age five, with a focus on the parent–child relationship. Check out this self-paced course today to increase your confidence in supporting parents to notice their child’s cues and nurture positive mental health.

Learn more about infant mental health at our next webinar

Infant and family mental health: Integrating lived experience expertise into your practice 

Monday 15 June, 7:15–8:30 pm (AEST) 

In this webinar, co-presented by the Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN), you’ll learn how lived experience approaches can strengthen engagement, build stronger relationships and improve outcomes in infant and toddler mental health care. 

Other upcoming webinars to support your professional development  

Collaborative goal setting for children experiencing attention and behaviour challenges 

Wednesday 17 June, 7:00–8:30 pm (AEST)

Presented in partnership with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), this webinar explores how collaborative goal setting can empower families to navigate ADHD and other developmental or behavioural concerns.  

Strengthening support for LGBTQ+ young people with disability 

Thursday 25 June, 1:00–2:00 pm (AEST) 

Co-produced by Child Family Community Australia (CFCA), this webinar will explore how practitioners and service providers can better support the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ young people with disability. 

Latest practitioner podcast: Supporting the communication needs of children with complex trauma 

How can practitioners support the communication needs of children who have experienced complex trauma? In this episode, speech pathologist Kate Headley shares a range of neurodivergent-affirming strategies and examples from her work supporting children in out-of-home care.  

New short article: What is food insecurity and how does it impact child mental health and wellbeing? 

This article by Dr Mandy Truong (Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Family Studies) describes what food insecurity is and how common it is among Australian families with children. It also includes a summary of key research about the impacts of food insecurity on child outcomes.  

Research highlights: April 2026 

The latest highlights in mental health research include: 

• The impact of adverse childhood experiences and social determinants of mental health on adult depression

• How ethnic minority women in the UK experience perinatal mental health screening questions

• How depression during pregnancy relates to children’s behaviour and development

• Long-term effects of cyberbullying victimisation on child and adolescent mental health