Save the Date! KAIMH Conference 2026
April 23-24, 2026
Wichita, KS
KAIMH invites infant and early childhood mental health advocates and professionals to submit proposals for breakout sessions at our 2026 Annual Conference, April 23-24 in Wichita, Kansas. This year’s theme, “RESILIENCE: Building Children’s Capacity to Bounce Back” with keynote speaker, Nicki Patton Rowe, challenges us to strengthen our approach and collective impact as we support young children and their families. We are seeking dynamic, engaging presentations that highlight adult and child resilience through promotion, prevention and intervention. Proposals can include:
Strategies for building skills across transdisciplinary teams
Peer-to-peer learning experiences that strengthen infant and early childhood mental health knowledge and collaboration
Engaging presentations on reflective and inclusionary practices
Breakout sessions are 1.5 hours in length. We welcome proposals for one or two-part (3 hr) options. Sessions that offer actionable takeaways and build skills applicable across disciplines will be especially valued. One free conference registration is offered per session, so if you are the sole presenter you are welcome to attend the conference for free. If you are co-presenting we can offer one free conference registration, or two if you present a two-part session.
Conference Details:
Concurrent Sessions and Vendor displays: April 23-24, 2026. Registration opens at 7:30 am both days. Sessions run 8:30 – 4:30 on April 23, 8:30 – 2:00 pm on April 24.
Proposal Submission Deadline: January 18, 2026 Use this link to submit your proposal.
Help us to impact resilience and inspire change to shape the future of young children’s lives. Submit your proposal today!
Vendor Opportunity:
We also invite professionals and agencies to participate by having a resource table to showcase your programs, tools, research, and services to colleagues across Kansas. Vendor tables will be located in the main presentation room. Use this link to request your table(s).
Questions? Contact Marie Treichel at [email protected]
Early Bird Registration is Open!
Become a member of KAIMH and save $50 off your conference registration. KAIMH Conference Pricing is $325 for both days, including meals, snacks and evening entertainment! KAIMH Members receive a discounted registration of $275. Save an additional $25 with Early Bird Pricing until March 1, 2026. Click here to register.
Interested in applying for a scholarship? If you work in the field of early education we encourage you to apply at KCCTO (Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities for a an in-service training scholarship here to cover registration and travel fees.
KAIMH has limited conference scholarships funded through the Preschool Development Grant to cover registration fees. To apply click here.
Alice Eberhart-Wright Visionary Award
AEW Nomination
The Alice Eberhart-Wright Visionary Award recognizes outstanding achievements and significant contributions in the field of infant and early childhood mental health. The award is given to those who represent the mission of KAIMH and illustrate passion, creativity and best practices in their work supporting infant and early childhood mental health in Kansas. This award is presented each year at the KAIMH annual conference. If you would like to nominate a candidate for the 2026 award, please complete the form below.
Alice Eberhart-Wright Visionary Award Overview (160.32 KB)
Congratulations to the 2025 AEW Recipient:
Jessica Mostaffa
This year’s recipient of the Alice Eberhart-Wright award is Jessica Mostaffa. Her impactful contributions include but are not limited to: providing reflective consultation to early childhood professionals, mental health training and resource support, committee work with various early childhood organizations, and assisting home visitation leaders in effectively supporting home visitation staff. Below is Jessica’s comment on receiving this award:
At the heart of infant and early childhood mental health is one simple yet profound truth: relationships matter. It is through relationships – safe, responsive, and nurturing – that children begin to make sense of themselves and the world around them. Every moment of attuned connection lays the foundation for a child’s lifelong capacity to trust, to learn, to love, and to thrive.
But as we all know, children do not grow in isolation. They grow in the context of families, and families need support, understanding, and compassion. That’s why our work is not only about children – it’s about holding the caregivers, too. It’s about seeing the whole system and recognizing that when we support the adults, we support the child.
This is where the parallel process becomes so important. The way we engage with caregivers, the way we listen, reflect, and hold space for their experiences, directly mirrors what we hope they can offer to the children they care for. Our relationships with providers, parents, and colleagues become the model, the living blueprint, for the healing and growth we seek to foster in families. That’s what makes this work both powerful and deeply human.
I share this honor with the countless professionals who walk alongside families every day – often quietly, often without recognition – holding stories of pain and resilience, and doing the brave, relational work that changes lives. Also, with everyone who has guided me, taught me, and everyone who has trusted me with their story.
I truly believe that our field is filled with visionaries – people who imagine what’s possible when we invest in the earliest relationships, and who believe, fiercely, in the capacity for healing, connection, and hope.
Thank you for this recognition. Thank you for believing in this work. The journey continues, and I am honored to walk it with all of you.