ECCS Touchpoints Webinar: Supporting Infants and Toddlers in the Child Welfare System: The Safe Babies Approach
What is a touchpoint?
A child’s brain undergoes rapid development during the first three years of life, making this period crucial for their overall growth. Each new brain connection formed during this time has been referred to as a “touchpoint,” which is why we named our informational webinar series after this important milestone in a child’s development. Through these hour-long, interactive webinars, our goal is to help you create your own touchpoints across South Dakota, contributing to the healthy development of all the state’s children.
Supporting Infants and Toddlers in the Child Welfare System: The Safe Babies Approach
Join us for an in-depth webinar exploring the Safe Babies approach, a nationally recognized program of ZERO TO THREE that transforms the experience of infants, toddlers, and their families involved in the child welfare system. Grounded in the science of early childhood development and attachment, the Safe Babies approach works to improve how systems support families with young children, ensuring stability, healing, and lifelong well-being.
Speakers: Drs. Aiden Bohlander & Mike Sherman, ZERO TO THREE
CEUs: SD Board of Social Work Examiners This organization (University of South Dakota – Provider #1048) is approved as a provider for continuing education by the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners. Social workers will receive up to 1.0 Continuing Education clock hours for participating in this course.
A clinical social worker, Dr. Aidan Bohlander has expert training and experience in the field of infant and early childhood development. For more than 15 years Dr. Bohlander has worked at the intersection of early childhood mental health, trauma, and child welfare, including direct service provision, training, curriculum development, and program outreach. Currently, she is the Outreach and Product Development Manager for Safe Babies, a program of ZERO TO THREE. She is driven by the vision that every baby has enormous potential and that we all can support the relational environments to help them reach it.
A licensed clinical psychologist and NAPA/UC Davis Infant-Parent Mental Health fellow, Dr. Mike Sherman has expert training and experience in the field of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. For more than 15 years, he has worked at the nexus of community mental health and child welfare programs, including direct service provision, supervision, training, consulting, program development, and administration. Dr. Sherman’s training, clinical practice, and administrative experience have given him a deep understanding of the needs and barriers in our systems of care. Dr. Sherman is the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Clinical Consultation Manager for Safe Babies, a program of ZERO TO THREE. His goal is to broaden the capacity of providers, programs, and systems to foster children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health and development.
