Our Commitment to Greater Equity:

Optimal development for children is only possible in a just and equitable community. We acknowledge the harmful impacts that systems of oppression have on children, families, and infant and early childhood professionals. Barriers keeping Black, Indigenous, People of Color, neurodivergent, transgender and other marginalized clients from reaching their full potential include racial trauma, health disparities, and lack of access to culturally competent resources.

We recognize that the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health field emerged within the institutions and dominant culture of white supremacy and that many of its norms reflect those oppressive values. These norms have been and continue to be used to perpetuate segregation and oppression, stigmatizing the fear, anger, and grief of oppressed people and pathologizing the symptoms of trauma. Individual practitioners may come to the field with the sincere intention to relieve suffering, but we honor the difficult truth that unexamined practices continue to do harm.

At Cooper House, we hold ourselves accountable to eradicate oppression in our relationships, professional practice, and the systems we interact with. We commit to doing the hard work to move ourselves and Cooper House toward greater equity:

• Find and root out the unexamined IECMH practices that do harm.

• Build an organizational culture of anti-racism, feminism, intersectionality, accessibility, and trans-inclusion.

• Listen, honor, and respect the voices and experiences of those affected by injustice and inequity.

• Revise policies and practices with a commitment to embrace equity, which requires disruption of the status quo and a redistribution of resources.

• Hold curiosity, humility, hope, and courage as we build an equitable and just community.

We invite you to join us.