D2: Innovate to Mitigate: Executive Functioning Across Generations Curriculum
Area of Focus: Brain Science and Trauma-Informed Approaches
Did you know that the first impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is on the development of healthy executive function and self-regulation skills in 3-5 year olds? From late 2019-2021, three members of Social Current’s original Change in Mind brain science learning cohort joined forces to pilot home visiting and parenting group strategies to buffer children and caregivers against ACEs and toxic stress. With support from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child-Frontiers of Innovation, the three Change in Mind sites, the Institute for Child & Family Well-Being (Children’s Wisconsin), Children and Families First of Delaware, and The Family Partnership (TFP), came together to conduct rapid cycle, COVID-safe pilots of TFPs innovative Executive Functioning Across GenerationsTM curriculum. This session will discuss the results and learnings, implications for early childhood and parent support policy and practice, as well as how we are each continuing to innovate in the brain science space.
Learning Objectives
- Why executive functioning skills are core capabilities for life
- About an innovative brain science curriculum designed to boost skills and buffer children/caregivers against toxic stress
- How Social Current members have joined forces to innovate, test new solutions, and learn through rapid cycle evaluation
Presenters
John Till
Senior VP of Strategy & Innovation
The Family Partnership
Andrea Miller
Manager, Grants & Quality Excellence
Children & Families First of Delaware
Dianne Haulcy
President and CEO
The Family Partnership
Gabriel McGaughey
Director of Child Well-Being
Children’s Wisconsin Community Services
Kirstin Olson
CEO
Children & Families First