April 2024

Here's "The Scoop!" on Strengthening Families

Hello Providers!

As April showers us with new beginnings and fresh starts, we want to send a huge thank you to all the amazing child care providers out there!

Your love and laughter make every day brighter for the kids in your care. Thanks you for all that you do!

~ Child Care Aware of NH

Got something specific on your mind that you'd like us to cover? We're all ears! Your thoughts and ideas shape this newsletter, so send us an email at outreach2ccrr@snhs.org.

TA Tip: Safe Space for Infants and Toddlers

Creating nurturing, supportive, and trusting bonds with infants and toddlers is key in setting the tone for their educational and developmental journey.

Infant and toddler caregivers are their children’s first experience of school and often their first experience of being out of the home when receiving care. 

We are also often a safe place for those children who may not have a safe environment at home.

Creating a space that allows infants and toddlers to know they are safe and loved no matter what can have many positive impacts on their development.

Please view the training below about how you can work towards creating strong relationships with children in your classrooms! 

This TA Tip was graciously shared by Lindsey Parisi,

Lead Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator.

Child Care Aware of NH offers a Progressive Training & Technical Assistance Program on Strengthening Families, and you can learn more and apply at the link below

Resources for Providers

The first year of life is a critical time for infants to begin developing secure attachments with their parents and caregivers (secure attachment is when children know they can depend on adults to respond sensitively to their needs). This helps babies learn that their world is a safe place and it is an important foundation for self-regulation development.

When babies transition to childcare outside of the home, they need to form relationships with other caregivers and learn through experience that their needs will be met. Infants are sensitive to the emotions of adults and rely on caregivers to provide a calm and soothing presence, particularly during times of transition or distress. Infants can utilize simple self-regulation skills such as self- soothing or turning their attention away from upsetting situations, usually toward their caregiver, to seek comfort.

The resource below provides tips to help caregivers use co-regulation to support early development of self-regulation skills in infants.

Resources for Families

Strengthening Families helps to build strong communities, and child care programs play a big role in this effort. Providers can help build protective factors in families with young children, building on individual family strengths and guiding caregivers with information they need to support healthy child growth and development.

The Five Protective Factors are: 

• Parental Resilience  

• Social Connections  

• Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development  

• Concrete Support in Times of Need  

• Social and Emotional Competence of Children 

Join New Hampshire Children’s Trust in celebrating Prevention Month, a time to recognize the strengths of families and the communities that uplift them! Every April we have the opportunity to not only acknowledge the challenges families face, but also celebrate their incredible resilience. Family is New Hampshire’s best investment, and together, we can build strong communities where every child and family thrives.

Ever wondered how you are prevention? Check out New Hampshire Children’s Trust’s 2024 Resource Guide to learn how you play a role in creating safe and nurturing environments for children, and how else you can support NH families.

Child Care Aware of NH is a Child Care Resource and Referral Program of Southern New Hampshire Services. The preparation of this (report, document, etc.) was financed under a Contract with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, with funds provided in part by the State of New Hampshire and/or such other funding sources as were available or required, e.g., the United States Department of Health and Human Services.