Infant Family Associate (IFA)

Issued by Virginia Commonwealth University

Earners have the skills necessary to promote healthy social-emotional development and attachments between children ages 0-3 and their parent(s)/caregiver(s) by reinforcing positive parent-child interactions, as viewed through the lens of infant mental health.

Type Certification
Level Intermediate
Time Months
Cost Paid

Additional Details

Skills

Earning Criteria

Submit endorsement application to include: a minimum of 30 hours of training/continuing education demonstrating competency requirements; any academic degree, CDA or two years of paid infant-related work experience; 3 reference ratings; and recommended reflective supervision/consultation.
Completion of specialized education/coursework and/or volunteer/work experience, and in-service training experiences that have led to competency in the promotion of optimal social emotional development and early relational health.

Standards

Virginia Association for Infant Mental Health

Competency Guidelines