DCRC Blog

My mom and I were talking recently about my daughter’s development. She was wondering if I thought Madison (who is 4 years old) was ready for kindergarten. Lately, we have seen her become a lot better at letter and sound recognition. We are now working with her on her numbers … it’s a brutal process! To say that she is not interested would be an understatement.

My colleague, Nefertiti Poyner, was invited to speak along with a very prestigious group that put a laser focus on the unacceptably poor maternal health outcomes for Black women in the United States. The personal stories of loss were heartbreaking, and the statistics surrounding maternal health for Black women were eye-opening…

For those of us who have chosen careers that focus on promoting the well-being of young children, we know how quickly the years go by. We also know that the work we do to promote children’s resilience in early childhood needs to carry onward into elementary school.

I have been working in the field of early childhood resilience for over 20 years. For as many of those years, I have been tormented by the epidemic of preschool expulsion. In my late 20s, my first real social work position was in an expulsion preschool, where we served children who had been dismissed from at least three other preschools become coming to us.

The Devereux Center for Resilient Children (DCRC) team often speaks about the importance of the “Resilience Cascade” or the “Resilience Connection.” This notion highlights the point that promoting resilience in children requires that we also pay close attention to our own social and emotional well-being, as well as the overall resilience of our team members and work environments.

Moral resilience also involves cultivating self-regulation and self-awareness to recognize when integrity is threatened. With this foundation, we are better able to name the ethical problem, inquire into the facts and determine the action that supports integrity.

I feel tremendous pride as I reflect on the positive impact the DECA Program has had on children (millions have been assessed), families and communities (tens of thousands of professionals have been trained) these last 20 years. I am equally proud of the role Devereux has played in elevating the nation’s focus on young children’s social and emotional health.

In a time where there never seems to be enough time, I challenge us all to think critically about the environments, skills and experiences that all children need to be successful in school and in life. When we think and act in the name of prevention, we can have a huge impact on the lives of young children, the people they are to become, and the world we all share!

For many families, the holidays are spent dashing around trying to find those perfect presents, slaving over a hot stove cooking up family feasts and scurrying from one festivity to another. As the whirlwind weeks go by and stress levels soar, it might be time to slow down and remember what is important: spending time with the ones you love. Devereux Center for Resilient Children (DCRC) Early Childhood Specialist and National Trainer Nefertiti B. Poyner, Ed.D., offers tips for families to focus on togetherness during the holiday season.

The nonprofit Future of America Learning Center (FALC), which provides educational programs, child care and youth activities to children of a local healthcare workers union, and to those from the broader community, made a commitment to the implementation of the DECA Program more than 10 years ago.