Belonging

Inclusion is not a place, it is a way of being.

AIMHiTN has an unwavering commitment to individual and organizational efforts that:

Recognize, reflect on, and promote self-awareness of preconceived judgments.
Embrace lived experiences and various ways of knowing and being.
Address long-standing, systemic barriers to child and family well-being.
Promote a culture of belonging and equity for all infants, young children, and the caregivers and professionals who care for them.

Belonging begins with relationship

Belonging is an inherent need to establish a consistent, nurturing, and safe connection with others. AIMHiTN seeks to ensure that our staff, the professionals that we serve, and most importantly infant, young children, and their families, experience a sense of belonging and feel seen, valued, and supported within the context of their community and culture. Belonging shifts our stance from a place of experts to one of a partnership and relationship within IECMH organizations and with the children and families we serve. It is a lifelong reflective journey and commitment to learning and engaging with others.

AIMHiTN’s Belonging program provides training and resources to support organizational leaders and professionals in understanding how equitable practices, diverse experiences, and reflective decision-making enhances outcomes for the healthy social and emotional development of our little ones.

Resources for organizations and professionals

4 Core Elements of Belonging

Creating a Work Culture of Belonging: Getting Started

Articles:

Creating a Sense of Belonging for Children

Who am I? Developing a Sense of Self and Belonging

Creating a sense of place: Considering routine, ritual, and belonging

Available trainings:

Belonging in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
A Father’s Roles in Children’s Early Relational Health and Development
Belonging in IECMH: Shifting Organizations Through Cultural Humility
The Impact of Belonging on Children’s Early Relational Health and Development

To request a training: https://www.aimhitn.org/request-a-training

For more information about Belonging in IECMH, please email Keena Friday-Gilbert at keenafg@aimhitn.org.

Creating a Sense of Belonging

Who Am I Journal

Belonging Awards

The mission of the AIMHiTN Belonging Awards is to create a pathway for providers to assess their programs and develop high-quality inclusion practices for the infants and children they serve.

Learn More About Our Belonging Awards

Meet the Equity Impact Team

In 2020, AIMHiTN established the Equity Impact Team (EIT) to thoughtfully consider the ways in which inequity impacts infants, young children, and families in Tennessee. The EIT has a role in supporting the work of AIMHiTN’s Director of Belonging and informing all aspects of AIMHiTN’s work from professional development with the Board of Directors and staff, to influencing equitability of policies, to considering the messaging and presentation of AIMHiTN’s materials and engagement with the state IECMH workforce.