8 Areas of Focus for Healthy Social Emotional Development of Infants and Young Children

Social-Emotional Development in the Early Years: A Common Message Paper (2nd Ed.)

The purpose of this paper is to provide professionals, working with infants/young children and their families, with common messages focused on early social-emotional development which contributes to positive mental health and well-being. Download the Social-Emotional Development in the Early Years: A Common Message Paper (2nd Ed.).

A shared understanding of the experiences, resources and protective factors that foster healthy social-emotional development strengthens our collective ability to:

• Provide caregivers with information and resources to promote their infant/young child's healthy social-emotional development
  
  
• Identify when infants/young children would benefit from additional help and support
  
  
• Mitigate factors that can negatively impact an infant/young child's social-emotional development
  
  
• Ensure that infants/young children and/or their caregivers are linked to the right people providing the right services at the right time
  

8 Areas of Focus that Promote Healthy Social-Emotional Development

The 8 areas of focus and their related messages can be used to:

• Increase awareness of the importance of the early years in providing the foundation for mental health and well-being
  
  
• Orientate, educate and align a shared understanding of factors that contribute to optimal social-emotional development
  
  
• Tailor marketing and/or communication strategies promoting social-emotional well-being
  

Community Model infographic

Summary fact sheet: The 8 Areas of Focus

Moving from Knowledge to Practice

The EYMHC has developed a brief overview for each of the eight areas of focus, highlighting learning and talking points as well as linking to specific resources that can be shared with colleagues and/or families.

Brain Development & the Environment
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Stress & Brain Development
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Executive Function
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Temperament
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Resilience
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Positive Caring Relationships
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Attachment
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Play
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