Talking with Early Head Start and Head Start staff and Families

Provide information

• Convey basic information about trauma and the impact of trauma on young children and families
• Describe how trauma and the response to trauma can influence development and emerge as challenging behavior
• Emphasize resilience and the importance of caring relationships
• With appropriate permission, provide additional information about a specific child and family

Provide hope

• Share information about resilience in children, adolescents and families
• Help teachers and staff avoid “assumptions” and seeing traumatic experience as “destiny” for the child or family
• Provide practical suggestions and encouragement, building the capacity of teachers and staff to respond to children and families impacted by trauma

(Adapted from Blumenfeld, et al, 2010, used with permission)