Across the country, states are taking concrete steps to strengthen the early childhood education (ECE) workforce ;but what does meaningful progress actually look like in practice? This session explores how policy, funding, and systems alignment are shaping the future of the profession. Grounded in the Unifying Framework for the ECE Profession, developed through the Power to the Profession initiative and advanced by the Commission on Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education, presenters will highlight national trends and “bright spot” examples from states making measurable gains in compensation, preparation, and professional recognition. Participants will examine what's working, where challenges remain, and how these efforts can translate into real change. Through practical examples and discussion, attendees will leave with ideas and approaches they can use to move from vision to action in their own context.

Presenters: Shyrelle Eubanks, EdD, Chair, Commission on Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education (ECE Commission); and Lisa Downey, EdD, ECE Commission Organizational Member Commissioner and McCormick Institute for Early Childhood, National Louis Universi

Access for 1 year from date of purchase. Learn at your pace, on your schedule, without worrying about missing out.

Earn One contact hour (.1 CEU) with completion of CEU quiz and Evaluation.

Recordings will be uploaded following the 2026 LEARN Conference, with all sessions expected to be available by December 1, 2026. We’ll be sure to notify you as soon as the recordings are ready so you can watch or revisit the sessions at your convenience.

This Lecture session examines sexual abuse concerns in early childhood through a developmental and trauma-informed lens. Participants will engage in focused content, guided discussion, and structured reflection to strengthen recognition of indicators of concern and practice-based professional responses that support child safety, caregivers, and relational stability.

Presenters: Cassie Yackley, PsyD, Center for Trauma-Responsive Practice Change

Access for 1 year from date of purchase. Learn at your pace, on your schedule, without worrying about missing out.

Earn One contact hour (.1 CEU) with completion of CEU quiz and Evaluation.

Recordings will be uploaded following the 2026 LEARN Conference, with all sessions expected to be available by December 1, 2026. We’ll be sure to notify you as soon as the recordings are ready so you can watch or revisit the sessions at your convenience.

This session invites participants to explore how personal early experiences shape professional caregiving, coaching, and teaching approaches. Attendees will examine reflective self-awareness, classroom application, and coaching and family partnership strategies that strengthen trauma-informed, relationship-based practice. Participants will engage in: Personal reflection, guiding participants in considering how protective factors, unmet needs, and early sources of comfort influence present-day caregiving, coaching, and leadership responses. Classroom and program application, generating developmentally appropriate activities, co-regulation strategies, routines, and autonomy-supportive practices that respond to common early childhood needs. Coaching and family partnership, developing reflective conversation prompts and responsive approaches that support caregivers and educators in meeting infants' and toddlers' emotional and developmental needs. Faculty will guide discussion that integrates trauma-informed principles, body safety, and respect for children's boundaries. Participants will leave with practical tools and renewed insight into how reflective awareness strengthens empathy, responsiveness, and healing-centered practice.

Presenters: Presenter: Darian White, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Access for 1 year from date of purchase. Learn at your pace, on your schedule, without worrying about missing out.

Earn One contact hour (.1 CEU) with completion of CEU quiz and Evaluation.

Recordings will be uploaded following the 2026 LEARN Conference, with all sessions expected to be available by December 1, 2026. We’ll be sure to notify you as soon as the recordings are ready so you can watch or revisit the sessions at your convenience.

History shapes how a field understands its values, knowledge, and future direction. The Sankofa principle, originating from the Akan people of Ghana, encourages us to return to the past to retrieve wisdom that may be at risk of being forgotten. This Issue Intensive introduces the Sankofa Infant Mental Health History Project, a multi-year initiative designed to retrieve and elevate culturally diverse relational wisdom within the infant and early childhood mental health field. Participants view the first film from the Sankofa film series and explore how historical narratives influence current theory, practice, and systems. The presentation highlights how cultural knowledge, community wisdom, and previously overlooked perspectives can expand the field's understanding of relational health. By revisiting the field's history through a broader lens, this Issue Intensive invites professionals to consider how integrating diverse ways of knowing can strengthen workforce development, reflective practice, and systems change.

Presenters: Faculty: Eva Marie Shivers, JD, PhD, Indigo Cultural Center; Aditi Subramaniam, LMHC, R-DMT, IECMH-E®, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; and Natasha Pérez Byars, MS, MSW, LICSW, Indigo Cultural Center

Access for 1 year from date of purchase. Learn at your pace, on your schedule, without worrying about missing out.

Earn One contact hour (.1 CEU) with completion of CEU quiz and Evaluation.

Recordings will be uploaded following the 2026 LEARN Conference, with all sessions expected to be available by December 1, 2026. We’ll be sure to notify you as soon as the recordings are ready so you can watch or revisit the sessions at your convenience.

Unit 5: Social–Emotional Development is part of the ZERO TO THREE Growing Brain Participant Manual series and focuses on how relationships, emotional regulation, and attachment develop in the earliest years. This 32-page digital manual includes summaries, interactive prompts, and guided reflections to help professionals apply evidence-based strategies that nurture strong emotional foundations in young children.

This valuable book outlines the key steps in creating a system of reflective supervision within an early childhood program to improve services, support staff, and better meet the needs of children and families. With chapters written by leading experts, this book provides answers to the critical questions that every program needs to know to launch reflective supervision and lists activities that can be used to build the reflective capacity within a staff.

Over There is a supportive tool created to help families navigate the emotional challenges of military deployment. Designed for young children, this comforting board book uses simple, reassuring language and includes a photo insert for the deployed parent to help maintain connection across the distance. It serves as a practical resource for preparing children for separation, sustaining emotional bonds during deployment, and supporting a smooth, loving reunion.

Toddler begins to make great leaps in communication and motor skills. Behavior may change as they cultivate a newfound sense of independence. This kit includes items and activities to support language and interpersonal development.

This compassionate and practical guide supports clinicians, educators, and caregivers as they help infants, toddlers, and preschoolers navigate the death of a parent or primary caregiver. It explores how young children experience and express grief, including responses to sudden or violent loss, and offers thoughtful, real-world case vignettes that bring therapeutic approaches to life. Grounded in clinical insight, the book provides meaningful guidance for supporting young children through one of life’s most difficult transitions.

A foundational bestseller in infant and early childhood mental health, Don’t Hit My Mommy! is a trusted and practical resource for professionals. It offers clear, trauma-informed guidance for addressing behavioral and mental health challenges in young children exposed to violence within their closest relationships. Grounded in clinical expertise and real-world experience, the book provides actionable strategies for intervention and healing, making it an essential tool for practitioners across disciplines.