The International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) is well-known worldwide for its program that helps parents and babies connect better. Every baby’s first language is touch, and massaging babies can make them feel closer to their parents. This bonding is important for a baby’s healthy growth and development. IAIM also believes that the love and care parents give through touch can make communities more caring.
IAIM started in the USA in 1986. In 1992, during an educational conference in Orlando, Florida, they decided to set up the international office in Sweden. So, officially, IAIM became the International Association of Infant Massage and was registered in Sweden.
When IAIM started in 1992, it was the first of its kind globally. Our main goal is to teach parents and caregivers how to use touch to communicate and bond with their children, making sure families everywhere are loved, valued and respected.
While baby massage has been around for a long time in different cultures, IAIM was the first to create a formal program for it. A lot of effort went into researching and refining our unique approach.
IAIM is a big family of people who want to help parents and babies connect through touch. What makes us special is that our program works all over the world, regardless of race, religion, culture or language. Today, IAIM has instructors in almost 100 countries, and we continue to grow.
Since the beginning, the decision-making process at IAIM has been based on consensus, where collaboration, respect, and inclusion are just a few of the values used.
Our flower is a symbol of how IAIM is structured. We see parents and babies in the centre of a circle which opens up into a flower.
Our association is organised into six petals of equal importance that surround the families we work with. Notice that everything in the flower is in contact with everything else. The beauty of the whole depends on each part being related to the other, working together, and serving the centre. The design, and our structure, recognizes no hierarchy within our association.
All the petals of our organisational flower support each other. It is in working together that we form a beautiful and dynamic blossom and a successful organization.
Babies and parents have always been the centre of our work, as they are the foundation of our society.
Parents, including birth, foster, and adoptive parents, are at the core of our work. Caregivers in orphanages also play a central role.
Babies and parents have always been the centre of our work, as they are the foundation of our society.
Parents, including birth, foster, and adoptive parents, are at the core of our work. Caregivers in orphanages also play a central role.
Instructors are certified by an IAIM Trainer to teach infant massage.
They undergo a 4 day training, complete an assignment, evaluations, and practical courses with families.
Instructors promote our program and follow our policies.
Chapters are formed by Certified Infant Massage Instructors within a country. They are non-profit associations led by members, following our policies and their country’s laws.
Chapters support their growth through meetings, conferences, newsletters, and materials to support the Certified Infant Massage Instructors’ work in the country.
The General Assembly is a biennial gathering of Chapter Representatives, chosen by each Chapter.
Chapter Representatives use a voting process to make decisions on various matters and are the connection between chapters and the IAIM International Board.
It’s a forum for collaboration and decision-making in our organisation.
The IAIM International Board supports the growth of our organisation and focuses on the overall management of our organisation, including supporting all the IAIM petals and connecting various committees.
They answer to the General Assembly, promote our mission, and work on projects proposed by the General Assembly.
The Educational Committee is responsible for all educational matters. It is supervised by the Educational Coordinator on the International Board and has two sub-committees: one for Trainer Candidates and one for Continuing Education. These committees are responsible for maintaining the high quality standards of the IAIM program worldwide. The Educational Coordinator on the International Board works closely with the educational coordinator in each chapter.
The IAIM Circle of Trainers includes all IAIM Trainers.These trainers, referred to as International Trainers, obtain certification through the IAIM Committee for Trainer Candidates (CTC).Upon certification, International Trainers assume the responsibility of training Instructors in alignment with IAIM’s Mission, Vision and Values.
Respecting Babies,
Supporting Families
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