Consultation builds the capacity of the adults around a child to respond with competence in the moments that matter.
Trained professionals from mental health or ECE backgrounds build the capacity of adults around the child to respond to behaviors in ways that strengthen relationships, support social-emotional development, and build provider resilience.
Decades of evidence show consultation keeps children and educators in classrooms and programs.
We work to ensure that every program can access qualified IECMH consultants in every state by:
Our goal
There are an estimated 5,000 IECMH consultants nationally, not nearly enough to meet the need. A study of 1,400+ educators found that only one in six(opens in a new tab) received consultation. We exist to make consultation more commonplace.
Read 10 statements and tell us which sound like your program. We'll tell you whether your consultation meets the national IECMHC competencies. Then we'll tell you what to do next.
1 of 10
Our consultant works mostly with our teachers and staff rather than one-on-one with children.
0 out of 10 aligned
“When a flower does not bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”
Direct treatment reaches one child. Consultation builds up the adults, and they carry it to every child in their care. Choose your setting to see the reach and the evidence.
We plan on 8 to 12 classrooms per full-time consultant and 8 children per classroom. NAEYC accreditation caps class size at 8 for infants, 12 for toddlers and 20 for preschoolers. We count 8, the infant class size, so a program with older children will reach more. This is a starting-point estimate. We'll work with you to find the exact ratios for your system.
192 to 288
children reached across their classrooms
Named by HHS and ED as a strategy to prevent exclusionary discipline.
CoE Evidence Synthesis, 2023.
In one school year at Action for Boston Community Development Head Start, 2025 to 2026.
39 states and DC have a profile. 11 states aren't in the scan yet, so you can't choose them: Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia.39 states and DC have a profile. 11 states aren't in the scan yet: Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia.
We scanned the state of consultation across the country in early 2026. View the results for your state.
