KAIMH strongly believes a core mission of our association is to promote and advocate for public policies that advance the importance of social and emotional development of infants and young people. In 2009, KAIMH has been actively engaged in urging its members to carry that message to their lawmakers when issues have been raised in the Kansas Legislature.

KAIMH is an active member in the Early Childhood Mental Health Advisory Council. The Kansas Early Childhood Mental Health Advisory Council is composed of individuals representing a wide range of public and private organizations which serve young children and families across the state.  The Council drafted the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Strategic plan which supports Goal 2 of the Kansas Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (KECCS) Plan.  Additional information is available at www.keccs.org.

KAIMH is an involved member of the Kansas Coalition for School Readiness. The Coalition for is a partnership of early learning advocates and practitioners, business leaders, parents, law enforcement, and other interested Kansans who have come together to support investment in early childhood education so that children are better prepared for success in school and beyond.

The Kansas Coalition for School Readiness seeks to ensure that voluntary, high-quality early childhood education is available to every child and every family in Kansas that wants to participate. The coalition's goals are to:

• Increase the number of children who have the opportunity to participate in voluntary, high-quality, early childhood programs

• Work in partnership with the early childhood community to assure that all early childhood investments are made in programs that are accountable and make a difference in the lives of Kansas children.