Healthy beginnings for all children
CHDI advances policies and strategies to foster the best start in life for children and works to integrate social emotional development and trauma-informed care into settings where young children live, learn and play.
Strengthening early childhood systems
CHDI has a long history of working to ensure children are off to a healthy start. Our goal is to strengthen and integrate the systems that serve young children and support child-serving professionals in addressing the behavioral health and trauma needs of young children and their families.
Currently, we are teaming up to advance system improvements to ensure young children grow up healthy and thrive as part of the CT 359 Network.
CT 359 Network
The CT 359 Network is a diverse coalition of individuals and organizations committed to advancing the health and well-being of all the state’s younger children. Its vision is for all of Connecticut’s young children to be healthy, thriving, and developmentally on target at three, five, and nine.
Strengthening the Early Childhood Workforce
CHDI is supporting child-serving professionals in promoting healthy social emotional development and addressing the behavioral health and trauma needs of young children and their families. Learn more about our current initiatives in this area:
Trauma ScreenTIME Early Childhood Course
This free, online course teaches early childhood professionals how to identify young children who have experienced trauma and connect those in need with effective services.
Trauma Sensitive Practices in Early Childhood
We are developing research-based training to guide early childhood professionals in implementing trauma-informed and healing practices.
Past Initiatives:
- Early Childhood Trauma Collaborative
- Adapting Gizmo's Pawsome Guide to Mental Health for Young Children
- Policy Development: Starting Early/Starting Now
- Infant Mental Health Competencies
- Maternal Depression
- Discovery Communities
Explore our resources and publications for helpful information on early childhood.