Increase positive experiences in early years

Safe, stable, nurturing environments and relationships in which children can thrive during the critical early years of development are vital to cultivating communities, systems, and societies where children can be healthy, resilient, and supported to reach their full potential.

CTIPP supports policy and practice advancements that support the types of relationships, environments, and positive experiences that the research illuminates as critical factors to building healthier, stronger, and safer families and communities where children can thrive.

CTIPP SUPPORTS:

Expand the presence of accessible, free childcare and early education settings that are trained in trauma-informed approaches and trauma-responsive practices
Streamline trauma-informed application, intake, and referral processes for early childhood care, education, and development programs
Require training on concepts related to trauma and adversity, NEAR (Neuroscience, Epigenetics, ACEs, and Resilience) science, social-emotional learning, co-regulation, child development, restorative justice, and other elements of trauma-informed and trauma-responsive approaches among all adults who work with or otherwise interface with young children
Provide trauma-informed training, support, funding, and equitable pathways to accreditation for home-based childcare centers
Expand and enhance ready-for-school initiatives
Establish standards for and expand the adoption/use of trauma-informed curriculum for programs and service providers to receive funding
Engage the Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care to make recommendations in creating a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive child- and family-serving systems, as well as to provide technical assistance to support, monitor, and evaluate fidelity and outcomes related to the implementation of its recommendations
Expand the adoption of restorative justice practices and other alternatives to discipline

RESOURCES

Reduce barriers to participation by providing equitable access to quality childcare and pre-k services
Engage parents, immediate and extended family members, primary and secondary caregivers, and entire communities in efforts to bolster access to and strengthen trauma-informed, resilience-building supports
Strengthen partnerships between early childcare providers and community resources for trauma-impacted young children and their families
Support policies and practices that promote positive childhood experiences and which create the context and conditions for healthy, resilient children and families
Create partnerships to help communities identify, gather, and synthesize relevant data and use data to generate trauma-informed solutions
Engage in public awareness and education campaigns to change social norms to support environments, relationships, parenting, and community experiences that promote thriving among young children
Promote positive parenting interventions to lessen harm, and mitigate the risk of future harm/adverse outcomes