The Challenge
Start Early
Community wisdom and research show that for very young children to thrive, we must acknowledge and seek to address the historical and intentional harm done to Black and Brown bodies and the impacts those wrongs have had on the mental, physical, and emotional health of the caregivers and communities in which the youngest children live.
- Black babies are 2x as likely to have two or more Adverse Childhood Experiences as white babies.
- American Indian/Alaska native infants/toddlers are almost 4x more likely to be removed from their home as their white counterparts.
- Black pregnant people are 3x more likely to die than non-Hispanic white pregnant people.
Our Approach
Irving Harris Foundation believes that to eradicate the staggering level of disparities in BIPOC communities, we must address systemic harms and increase investment in models that are innovating around more caring and less punitive support. The Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) program invests in grassroots mental health, maternal and paternal mental health, and birth justice interventions that are shifting power, resources, and systems so that all pregnant and birthing people, infants, toddlers, families, caregivers, and communities can thrive.