Celebrates Babies Week

October 21-25, 2024

Every year, Infant Mental Health Associations across the globe come together for a special week dedicated to honoring infants, toddlers, young children, their families, and the incredible early childhood professionals who support them. Join us and thousands of others as we Celebrate Babies and the vital relationships that help them thrive!

Our Mission

Celebrate Babies Week is a national initiative dedicated to raising awareness of and celebrating the individuals, families, groups, and systems working to promote the well-being of infants, toddlers, and their families.

Through community engagement, education, and advocacy, Celebrate Babies Week aims to enhance the attention, love, and nurturing care that babies need to thrive worldwide. We are committed to increasing public understanding and action to support the critical importance of healthy relationships between infants, toddlers, families, early childhood caregivers and all who touch the life of a young child, addressing disparities, and ensuring equitable access to essential services and programs.

Our Vision

A world where every baby and their caregivers are celebrated, nurtured, and given the foundation for a healthy, successful future. Celebrate Babies Week envisions communities around the globe united in their commitment to supporting the developmental needs of infants and toddlers, fostering environments where every baby can grow, learn, and reach their full potential. We strive for a future where strategic policy and financial investments, continued collaboration, and diverse partnerships lead to improved opportunities and outcomes for babies, young children and their families. Through public awareness campaigns, intentional community outreach, and social action, we celebrate babies, their families, and all those who support them, ensuring that every baby receives the best start in life.

Our History

Celebrate Babies Week was first launched by the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) in 2010, designed to bring awareness to the critical role that early relationships play in the well-being of infants, toddlers, and their families. The initiative focused on celebrating babies, early childhood professionals, and the communities that support them. It has since become an annual event observed each October, typically the third week of the month.

Each year, activities include community events, educational outreach, advocacy efforts, and celebrations designed to elevate the voices of those working to ensure healthy development for infants and toddlers. Past events have included diaper drives, lunch and learns, and statewide proclamations, such as the involvement of Michigan’s governor in recognizing the initiative.

Since its inception, Celebrate Babies Week has continued to grow, encouraging participation not only across the U.S. but also internationally.

Mark Your Calendar!

We want YOU to be part of this year's Celebrate Babies Week, happening October 21-25, 2024. Get involved, share your stories, and join us in celebrating the joy and importance of early childhood.

We invite you to join in Celebrate Babies Week!

Engage Your Community!

Celebrate Babies Week is not just a time to reflect but a powerful opportunity to engage and unite your community in supporting the emotional and mental well-being of infants and young children. Use this week to host events, start meaningful conversations, and spread awareness about the importance of early relational health. Whether it’s through organizing a local event, partnering with early childhood providers, or simply sharing educational resources with families, your involvement can make a lasting impact. Together, we can raise awareness and advocate for a future where every baby is nurtured, loved, and supported.

Use Your Voice a Call to Social Action

Reach out to your representatives, find out who your reps are and let them know how they can support healthy IECMH in their community! Ask where they stand on supporting policies that impact infants and young children and let them know you will be following up with them as the election approaches! Get together with your local chapter members or colleagues and set up a meeting with your local candidates! Educate them on the importance of healthy attachment for the infants and young children they want to represent and let them know that YOU will be a strong advocate and voice for the young ones in your community.

Reflect on Early Experiences

What better way to Celebrate babies than to acknowledge and celebrate your own early childhood! Here are some great ways to celebrate babies through reflection: Gather up some of your own favorite early childhood photos, ask family members to “tell you about this baby”, reflect on how your early experiences inform your work. Spend time with family, friends or colleagues sharing what you learned. Host a Celebrate Babies get together, encourage attendees to bring their own baby photos, post them on the wall and try to guess “who’s that baby?”. Reflect on the baby photos with the group following the activity.

Gather With Colleagues

Coming together with other like-minded and diverse colleagues is a wonderful way to celebrate the work you do on behalf of babies and young children! Here are some ways to Celebrate Babies through Professional Development: Host a brown bag lunch for local 0-6 providers and discuss an article relevant to working with families with young children. Gather for a case presentation or viewing of an infant and family centered film followed by reflective discussion. Hold a “Self Care” event/lunch with friends and colleagues to celebrate your accomplishments and recharge. Create a “must read” list of your favorite articles/books about babies/toddlers/young children/families.