DCRC Blog

The researchers behind this particular study believe that practicing random acts of kindness helps build our sense of belonging and strengthens social connections, two critical elements of overall health and happiness. It was with these latest findings in mind about the positive outcomes of random acts of kindness that I challenged myself to come up with a list of small acts of kindness. I challenged myself to come up with ideas that feel small, take little time, require no monetary value, and feel very doable.

In order to center equity in our resilience work with young children, it is helpful to acknowledge that a child’s resilience is inextricably connected to the systems that touch their lives. These systems can either affirm and uplift a child, or uphold inequities that create harm.

Therefore, if we wish for our resilience efforts to center equity, we must focus our work on the very systems that touch the lives of children in both positive and negative ways. Resilience work must be systemic work.

Clayton Early Learning, located in Denver, CO, took the third and fourth steps of the DECA Program into their own creative hands and designed what they call their “DECA wall.” In these photos, you’ll see how they used this wall to explain their use of the DECA, to provide definitions of the three core protective factors, to share the results of the completed parent assessments on a group/classroom level, and to provide a way for parents/families to access strategies to implement at home. Our team was elated to see such a beautiful and impactful way of sharing results and strategies. We hope it gives you and your program some inspiration and that it sparks your own creative minds!

Our team put together this collection of team-building activity ideas. There are many to choose from, so we encourage you to explore this resource and select ones that might be a good fit for your team, and maybe one or two that may seem out of your wheelhouse. Isn’t it healthy to try new things now and then? Give these activities a try during your next team meeting, perhaps even starting the meeting with an activity. These can serve as great icebreakers, and overall, can help you to create a culture of resilience in your team.

If you know our team well, you know that we are very visual people. You’ve heard us talk about rubber bands, umbrellas, rainstorms, cups, pitchers…and much more. That is because we feel it makes it simpler to both understand and to help others understand the importance of resilience.

Since we do use many visuals and metaphors, we wanted to give you all a little New Year’s gift. This infographic displays our most commonly used images that help us to picture resilience and the important role it plays in the lives of young children and adults…

During the holiday season, it’s easy to get caught up in seemingly never-ending to-do lists.

Before you dive head-first into the decorating, shopping, baking, wrapping and entertaining, Devereux Center for Resilient Children (DCRC) Director Susan Damico, M.A., suggests you take time to focus on your social and emotional health and well-being.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to the next generations is the ability to navigate life with kindness. Teaching young children about kindness not only helps shape their character, but also contributes to the creation of a more empathetic and harmonious society. Here are some practical and effective ways to instill the value of kindness in the hearts of our little ones…

We all know how important kindness is, but do you really pause and think about how kind you are to yourself? Self-kindness is the practice of treating yourself with the same compassion and care that you would offer to your best friend. It involves being gentle with yourself, especially during challenging times, and recognizing your worth and value as a person.

Let’s talk about why self-kindness is so important, and how you can practice it!

In a world that is currently heavy with pain and fear, kindness is needed. In this blog post, we will explore the profound impact of kindness on individuals, communities, and the world as a whole. We’ll touch on the science of kindness, the benefits it offers, and how you can cultivate kindness in your life.

The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) Program is a valuable complement to any infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) service, because it helps all of the adults in a child’s life focus on social and emotional health and resilience. IECMHC services benefit from utilizing the entire DECA Program suite of resources and strategies, but can also benefit from utilizing the assessments (birth through 5 years) independently.

According to leaders in the IECMHC field, there are several key elements of the practice. These key elements can be supported by the DECA Program in many ways…