Findings highlight the potential use of questionnaires and in-home observations to measure and intervene in potentially developing ACEs. Further, our screening was associated with children whose health was at risk very early in development. (PsycINFO Database Record

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This article describes the development, initial implementation, and formative evaluation of Arkansas’s plan to reduce suspensions and expulsion from early care and education (ECE) settings. We describe how Arkansas used multifaceted implementation strategies to facilitate change in six areas: policy, workforce development, specialized supports, family partnerships, child screening, and data tracking. We also highlight key findings from the formative evaluation. For example, needs assessment data revealed that 40.8% of ECE providers suspended at least one child in the past year, and 9% expelled one or more children. We evaluated efforts to educate ECE providers on new nonexpulsion policies and new supports, and results indicate that 89.5% of directors agreed that they understand why young children should not be suspended or expelled, though the majority reported concern about implementing a nonexpulsion policy. Initial utilization data from a new ECE provider support system indicate that in the first quarter, 53 requests were submitted for help with challenging classroom behavior. Most requests involved male children over the age of 3, and one-third of the requests referenced traumatic events experienced by the children.

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This article provides a description of the development, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of feasibility and acceptability of the Managing Youth Trauma Effectively (MYTE) program and highlights perceptions of changes in mothers' trauma-informed parenting practices. The program consists of a training and consultation program for staff of the U.S. State of Arkansas' Specialized Women's Programs (SWS), and an 8-week, group psychoeducational program designed to help mothers with substance-abuse problems learn how traumatic experiences may affect their children and how they may help support their children by creating a safe and nurturing environment. A posttraining evaluation with leadership and staff at SWS centers, feedback provided on consultation calls with MYTE facilitators, and a retrospective pre/post survey were used to examine feasibility, acceptability, and perceptions of changes in mothers' trauma-informed parenting practices. Preliminary results suggest that the MYTE program is feasible to implement and is acceptable to training participants, facilitators, and mothers participating in the program. Mothers reported significant growth in their perceptions of use of trauma-informed parenting practices. Future research is necessary to confirm these results and examine the effectiveness of the program using a randomized clinical trial.