Rooted in Relationships is an initiative of the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, funded through a public-private partnership. We recognize the fundamental power and importance of the earliest relationships in the lives of very young children. The initiative targets specific service systems and partners with communities to assist in the development and implementation of long-range plans to support the social‐emotional development of children, birth through age 8.
The interactions in a child’s earliest years are critical to future success in learning, social competency, and prevention of mental health problems. The social-emotional development that takes place during this time is strongly influenced by the quality of the relationship between young children and their primary caregivers. This importance has been recognized in Nebraska both by public and private studies, planning efforts and initiatives.
Vision:
Nebraska will have a statewide system of care that promotes the social and emotional competence and school readiness of all children from birth through age 8.
Mission:
The work of this three-year initiative is focused on the following three goals/critical outcomes:
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Nebraska has shared principles, definitions, and collaborative practice related to screening, assessment, adult/child interactions which promote the positive development of the “whole child”, and includes ongoing evaluation for continuous improvement
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Early care and education environments meet the social and emotional needs of all children in their care
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Improved social emotional competence of children from birth through age 8
Leadership
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Sami BradleyLIMHP, IMH-E, has spent over 20 years championing the social and emotional health of young children. As the leader of the Rooted in Relationships initiative at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, she collaborates with state and community partners to develop supportive systems of care for children from birth through age 8. A recognized leader in infant mental health, Sami co-leads the Nebraska Association for Infant Mental Health and coordinates Circle of Security in Nebraska. Her background includes direct practice as a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner, along with roles at Early Development Network and Head Start. Sami holds degrees from Doane University and the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and is endorsed as an Infant Mental Health Mentor in Policy.
Sami lives in rural Nebraska with her husband, five children, and many animals (including her favorite chickens!). Through her work, she is passionate about supporting early childhood mental health, believing that building strong relationships and connections early in life creates lasting, positive impacts.
Sami can be reached at sbradley@nebraskachildren.org
