243: Scaffolding Data Sources to Map the Need for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Services

Across the U.S., communities are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH). Yet many lack the tools to identify and respond to IECMH needs. In Nebraska, our center partnered with agencies serving vulnerable children to launch a phased needs assessment. Our goals were to estimate the number of young children in need of IECMH services, assess the availability of IECMH-trained providers, and examine the gap between them. With limited resources and no standardized method for identifying IECMH need, we scaffolded existing data sources, including child welfare problem-solving court evaluations, Nebraska’s Kidsights project, and the state’s Foster Care Review Office, to examine need through both caregiver and professional lenses. This poster shares early findings, highlights regional disparities, and illustrates how a shared leadership approach to evaluation can build capacity, inform funding decisions, and support equitable expansion of IECMH services for young children and families.