Exclusionary discipline practices differentially harm young children of color. As early childhood education systems seek to close these gaps to ensure all young children have access to high quality early learning experiences, the field requires more evidence-based approaches that can be scaled and replicated. Infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) has been associated with lower rates of preschool expulsion; but the field lacks clear guidance on the essential elements of high quality IECMHC. Without such guidance, researchers cannot build a credible evidence base for the causal link between IECMHC and exclusionary discipline. An interdisciplinary research team, with support from the national Center for Excellence in IECMHC, led a consensus-building process to identify the essential activities of IECMHC as implemented across settings. The three-stage Delphi Process resulted in a list of five essential elements and 26 activities that define IECMHC and make concrete its emphasis on relationships and equity. This greater clarity around the activities of IECMHC can help inform future research and evaluation, as well as workforce and professional development.

排斥性纪律做法对有色人种幼儿的伤害不同。随着幼儿教育系统寻求缩小这些差距，以确保所有幼儿都能获得高质量的早期学习体验，该领域需要更多可扩展和复制的基于证据的方法。婴儿和幼儿心理健康咨询（IECMHC）与学前班开除率较低有关；但该领域缺乏关于高质量 IECMHC 基本要素的明确指导。如果没有这样的指导，研究人员就无法为 IECMHC 与排他性纪律之间的因果关系建立可靠的证据基础。一个跨学科研究团队，在国家 IECMHC 卓越中心的支持下，领导了建立共识的过程，以确定跨环境实施的 IECMHC 的基本活动。德尔菲流程分为三个阶段，列出了五个基本要素和 26 项活动，这些要素定义了 IECMHC 并具体强调了关系和公平。IECMHC 活动的更加清晰有助于为未来的研究和评估以及劳动力和专业发展提供信息。