FamilyWise, in collaboration with 80×3: Resilient from the Start, has customized its NEAR Science presentation to meet the unique needs of early childhood education (ECE) professionals. NEAR (Neurobiology, Epigenetics, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Resilience) offers trauma-informed insights that help providers better understand and support young children.

Since 2024, 27 trained presenters have delivered this adapted training to over 400 ECE professionals across Minnesota. The sessions emphasize co-regulation, brain development, and compassionate responses to trauma, equipping caregivers with tools to foster resilience in children under five. A Spanish-language version of the training is also in development to expand accessibility.

This initiative reflects 80×3’s commitment to transforming how vital, science-based information reaches those shaping the earliest years of a child’s life.

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Angela Clair, Director of Early Childhood Services at Wilder Child Development Center, joins Priscilla Weigel and Beth Menninga to share her center's story of rethinking their approach to expulsion with the goal of truly being inclusive.  How can we include parents and staff to shift our organizational thinking and practices in our responses to big behaviors so that our doors welcome and support all children to thrive in our early childhood programs? 

 (Length: 29:23)

Join Dr. Nicole Evans from Embracing Equity and Beth Menninga and Priscilla Weigel of CICC as they discuss the central role of equity in creating inclusive early childhood environments.  Dr. Evans presents a useful framework for taking action at three levels to promote equity in organizations. Examples are shared of how and where learning organizations identified needs and made changes aimed at creating more equity at the individual, cultural and systems levels. As we think about where to begin a focus on equity in early childhood environments, the group talks about ways to create strong family partnerships as a powerful first step.

 (Length: 34:26)

About the podcast: The Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health has a mission to promote and pursue optimal mental health from infancy to young adulthood. Every topic of this podcast is approached with an open and critical mind exploring opportunities to view circumstances through a different lens. Being in this space means we advocate for all children to have equal access and opportunities to develop the skills to nourish their lives. We begin to help others remove their blinders while we’re also being challenged to remove our own. We need to see other people, appreciate their perspectives, and perhaps even learn from their journeys. There are mental health issues specific to young Black boys that are not being addressed and we must offer encouragement, give them permission, and provide safe spaces where they can be vulnerable. Throughout this podcast series, we’ll discuss and provide tangible instruction on how we can work together to heal our communities.

About the podcast: The Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health has a mission to promote and pursue optimal mental health from infancy to young adulthood. Every topic of this podcast is approached with an open and critical mind exploring opportunities to view circumstances through a different lens. Being in this space means we advocate for all children to have equal access and opportunities to develop the skills to nourish their lives. We begin to help others remove their blinders while we’re also being challenged to remove our own. We need to see other people, appreciate their perspectives, and perhaps even learn from their journeys. There are mental health issues specific to young Black boys that are not being addressed and we must offer encouragement, give them permission, and provide safe spaces where they can be vulnerable. Throughout this podcast series, we’ll discuss and provide tangible instruction on how we can work together to heal our communities.

About the podcast: The Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health has a mission to promote and pursue optimal mental health from infancy to young adulthood. Every topic of this podcast is approached with an open and critical mind exploring opportunities to view circumstances through a different lens. Being in this space means we advocate for all children to have equal access and opportunities to develop the skills to nourish their lives. We begin to help others remove their blinders while we’re also being challenged to remove our own. We need to see other people, appreciate their perspectives, and perhaps even learn from their journeys. There are mental health issues specific to young Black boys that are not being addressed and we must offer encouragement, give them permission, and provide safe spaces where they can be vulnerable. Throughout this podcast series, we’ll discuss and provide tangible instruction on how we can work together to heal our communities.

About the podcast: The Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health has a mission to promote and pursue optimal mental health from infancy to young adulthood. Every topic of this podcast is approached with an open and critical mind exploring opportunities to view circumstances through a different lens. Being in this space means we advocate for all children to have equal access and opportunities to develop the skills to nourish their lives. We begin to help others remove their blinders while we’re also being challenged to remove our own. We need to see other people, appreciate their perspectives, and perhaps even learn from their journeys. There are mental health issues specific to young Black boys that are not being addressed and we must offer encouragement, give them permission, and provide safe spaces where they can be vulnerable. Throughout this podcast series, we’ll discuss and provide tangible instruction on how we can work together to heal our communities.