The role of early care and education in addressing early childhood trauma

Abstract

Young children's experience of trauma is associated with a wide range of adverse events and circumstances, including abuse and neglect, domestic violence, loss of a parent, and community violence. Policymakers and practitioners are increasingly aware that trauma during the first few years of life is especially widespread, and there is growing interest in new ways to support these young children and their families. Many young children who experience trauma attend early care and education (ECE) programs, and these settings offer important opportunities to promote their well‐being. This paper examines strategies currently being implemented in ECE to address early childhood trauma. The paper first examines research on how trauma affects young children's development, ECE environments, and society. We then describe the unique needs of young, traumatized children and features of trauma‐informed care that can address their needs, along with emerging interventions and supports that can be incorporated into or linked with ECE settings as part of a trauma‐informed approach. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for ECE and trauma research, policy, and practice, bearing in mind both the promise of new approaches and a limited evidence base to date.

Child Maltreatment and Long-Term Physical and Mental Health Outcomes: An Exploration of Biopsychosocial Determinants and Implications for Prevention

“…While enthusiasm for trauma-informed practice within some educational jurisdictions is high [ 136 ] evidence for its effectiveness is scarce [ 137 ], though several small evaluations have delivered promising results. This growing movement has seen policies, strategies, and frameworks for supporting children with trauma published for early childhood [ 138 , 139 ] and school settings [ 140 ]. However, the extent to which these are successfully enacted and go on to have the intended positive outcomes for students is largely unknown and a key challenge for future research and practice.…”

Collaboration of Child Protective Services and Early Childhood Educators: Enhancing the Well-Being of Children in Need

“…Children's well-being, or lack of it, sets the path for their further development, which makes it imperative to identify, at an early age, those children who are in need of support services (Green et al 2018(Green et al , 2020Kovan et al 2014;McKee and Dillenburger 2012;Pölkki and Vornanen 2016;Treacy and Nohilly 2020). As Bartlett and Smith (2019) discussed, vulnerabilities caused by various traumas during the child's first years are widespread. Similarly, Farrell and Walsh (2010) indicated the seriousness of child neglect and abuse in the context of early childhood.…”

Supporting Young Children Exposed to Potentially Traumatic Events: Implications for Early Care and Education Policy

“…Negative effects on physical health are also well-documented (Kerker et al, 2015). Of particular concern is the increasing evidence that these effects begin early and can compound and accumulate over time, extending into adulthood and contributing to enormous societal costs (e.g., medical costs and mental health utilization; Bartlett & Smith, 2019).…”

“…Multiple frameworks outline school-based practices for promoting healthy development in young children and mitigating the harmful effects of trauma exposure, with recent work focused specifically on ECE settings (Bartlett & Smith, 2019; Loomis, 2018). ECE can fill an essential role in the creation of stable, supportive, and structured environments while providing high-quality, play-based learning opportunities that allow children to develop self-regulation and early academic skills (Cadima et al, 2016; Williford et al, 2013), thereby buffering the effects of PTE exposure.…”

“…Currently, barriers within the ECE delivery system prevent access to high-quality, trauma-informed learning opportunities, particularly in marginalized communities that have faced structural forms of discrimination and oppression limiting access to care and education. Building on the foundational work of other early childhood stakeholders (Bartlett & Smith, 2019; Loomis, 2018; Meek et al, 2020), we offer a set of policy recommendations geared toward leveraging the ECE system to promote healthy development among young children who have been exposed to PTEs. Across all policy recommendations is a focus on increasing quality and access to ECE and improving equity for communities of color and other historically marginalized populations (see also Meek et al, 2020, for additional discussion of the policy reforms needed to dismantle systemic racism across the ECE system).…”