Last month, the Public Health Agency (PHA) launched the refreshed Northern Ireland Infant Mental Health Framework and Action Plan, a renewed commitment to ensuring that every baby has the best possible start in life.
It focuses on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from pregnancy to age three, a period when the foundations for emotional security, resilience and lifelong wellbeing are laid.
The framework recognises something we see in our work every day. Supporting infant mental health is not just about the child; it’s about the relationships, environments and systems that surround them.
The PHA’s new proposals are rooted in the belief that infant mental health is everybody’s business. Improving outcomes for babies requires collective responsibility across families, communities and services.
Announcing the plans, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt stressed the importance of early childhood. He noted that a baby’s brain “is developing more rapidly than at any other period in life and is particularly sensitive to outside influences.” Strengthening early relationships and promoting positive infant mental health, he explained, set children on a positive, lifelong developmental path.
The framework is built around four simple but powerful themes (or ‘lenses’), each offering a different perspective on infant mental health. In addition, each is closely aligned with the values that guide our Right Support Right Time service:
- The Baby’s Lens: Babies communicate from birth and their wellbeing depends on how consistently and sensitively adults respond.
- The Parent and Caregiver Lens: When parents and caregivers feel supported, informed and emotionally well, they are better able to nurture their baby’s development.
- The Community Lens: Families thrive when they have access to services in connected and supportive communities.
- The System Lens: Joined-up, collaborative services ensure that families don’t fall through gaps and are able to access the right help when they need it.
Inspire couldn’t agree more. We know how deeply early experiences influence a young person’s emotional growth and sense of safety. Creating environments where young people feel supported, safe and empowered is at the heart of what we do. This commitment comes to life through our PEACE of Mind project. Working closely with children and young people, we are nurturing healthy relationships and boosting resilience.
PEACE of Mind provides free youth mental health and personal development programmes for young people, aged 11 to 25, in Northern Ireland, as well as Ireland’s border counties. Our youth-focused sessions are led by our trained youth facilitators and participants are encouraged to explore their emotions, understand their experiences and develop practical coping strategies that help them feel more grounded in their daily lives.
To find out more about PEACE of Mind, or to sign up, click here.
As the new framework highlights the importance of early emotional wellbeing, our Right Support Right Time service is here to offer practical, compassionate support to people across Northern Ireland and Ireland’s border counties.
We provide:
- Focused one‑to‑one conversations to identify the right support
- Mental health information and awareness sessions
- Practical tips and advice to build resilience
- Expert support and advocacy for people facing difficult issues
- Access to therapeutic physical and mental wellbeing support
- Help with planning, understanding rights and ensuring every voice is heard
We specifically reach people who often face the greatest barriers to support, including individuals living in deprivation, those with intellectual or physical disabilities, newcomer families, people experiencing homelessness and international protection applicants.
When adults feel supported, babies and young children benefit and healthier futures are more likely.
If you want to get involved in Right Support Right Time, or even just find out more, click here.