Money Affects Systems and Organizational Culture

The way programs get money affects how well workers can do their jobs and help children and families. In focus groups, people said they were frustrated with how programs are funded through insurance, grants, or government contracts; these sources are often insecure and/or time limited, adding an additional stress for workers. Often, there isn’t enough money to pay fair wages, give good benefits, or offer training to workers.

There are also a lot of rules about how the money can be spent, and workers must do a lot of paperwork to report how they use funds. All of this takes time away from helping kids and families. These problems make workers feel tired and stressed. Some even quit their jobs. When funding is not stable, workers worry about losing their jobs or programs closing.

Big Challenges in the System

Some problems at work can be fixed by the organizations themselves. But many of the bigger problems come from the system as a whole. Providers in the focus groups said things like unfair treatment based on race or gender, and negative attitudes toward mental health, make their jobs harder. These are systemic problems because they happen across systems.

It’s important for organizations to see and understand these problems. If they don’t, they might accidentally cause more harm. Instead, they could prioritize building workplaces where everyone feels like they belong and where people’s backgrounds, cultures, and life stories are valued and welcomed.

Workers also said that the system is confusing and not well connected. It’s hard for them to help families find the services they need. A system wide goal could be to redesign the system to be easier to understand and use, providing integrated care and clear pathways for services would enhance family outcomes and indirectly support provider outcomes.  

Wanting Things to Change

From the stories shared in the focus groups, it’s clear that many people want to make changes to how systems and workplaces are run. Workers had lots of ideas about how to do this.

First, they want to advocate and speak up to help others understand the problems they face. They hope to change unfair systems by supporting better rules and policies.

They also want more people to be able to work in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH). This could mean making it easier to join the field by rethinking how much schooling is needed, creating programs where people can learn while working (e.g., apprenticeships), and giving people clear steps to grow in their careers. Workers said it’s important to value real-life experience, not just education.

Finally, they want to build spaces where people can come together. Having strong relationships with each other helps them feel supported and do their jobs better.

In the end, a strong and healthy system and workplace is needed to help workers feel good and do their best. When the culture is fair, welcoming, and open to change, it enables providers to give great care to children and families.