2010 Jane C. Bourns Award
The Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health created the Jane C. Bourne Award in 2006 to honor a key member of the group that founded the association. Jane Bourn was a professionally-trained social worker, who devoted most of her career to the development of mental health services for children as Director of Children’s Services at Wheeler Clinic for 23 years. Jane was a passionate leader, remarkable in her energy and commitment to improving the lives of children and families. She championed prevention initiatives, including the healthy families America program unique in its recognition of the strengths in children and families. Sadly, Jane passed away before this association, for which she had worked so hard, came into full fruition.
This year, The Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health is proud and privileged to name Dr. Kyle Pruett as the recipient of the 2010 Jane C. Bourne Award. As most of you surely know, Dr. Pruett is an internationally known child psychiatrist and expert on child, parental and family development, paternal involvement, children’s mental health, creativity, and the effects of media, trauma, and divorce on children.
He is Clinical Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, author, international lecturer, media personality and pioneering researcher. He conducted the country’s only long-term study of the impact on children of primary caretaking fathers which culminated in the publication of his influential book, The Nurturing Father. He is currently involved in a pioneering project in California, dedicated to improving the role of fathers in low-income, rural families. If you had the opportunity to see his moving video vignette of an illiterate father “reading” to his toddler, you would witness the power of his work in fortifying father-child relationships.
Notable among his many accomplishments, Dr Pruett is past President of Zero to Three, author of several award-winning books including his recent book with his wife, Marsha Klein Pruett, “Partnership Parenting”. He maintains a private practice and provides consultation to innovative programs for children and families in Connecticut as well as nationally and internationally.
Perhaps the most compelling reason to recognize Dr. Pruett with this year’s Jane Bourne Award is the impact his mentorship has had on so many of those in this room who have, as a result of his influence, taken up the call for leadership in the quest for improved infant mental health policies and practices in our state.
Please join me in recognizing Dr. Kyle Pruett, the Nurturing Father of our endeavors.
